Universal DOOM
by ImpulsiveWeaver
Summary: After being cast away by Samuel Hayden, the Doom Slayer winds up on an adventure through multiple universes and meeting those who have their own issues with the denizens of Hell. Crossover between Doom (2016) and any horror/supernatural movies/books/stories that I include. Feel free to request any movie, book, or franchise you want to see. Cover art by JakeBurner on DeviantArt!
1. Beginning: Ghostbusters

Universal DOOM

 _A/N: I'm back yet again! This time, I've got a fun-filled adventure planned with your favorite Doom Slayer going toe-to-toe with some of your favorite horror antagonists. That's the main part, but the secondary part is all about how the protagonists of said universes react to our unstoppable, armored, demon killer. Let me just say that I own nothing. With that out of the way, let's begin!_

 _Re-routing tether coordinates…Complete._

"I can't kill you – but I won't have you standing in our way."

…

"Until we see each other again."

With that, the tether activated, and a bright blue light flashed throughout the room. Then everything fell still.

…

Peter Venkman was feeling especially glorious today. Another successful ghost bust had just occurred and Ray and Egon were handling the details and the trap. This time, the Ghostbusters had found a disturbance at a local subway station, some uptight spirit of a conductor was dumping trash cans on innocent commuters. The team had arrived and handled it with ease. Well, almost ease.

Venkman turned to the rest of the team, who were now carefully picking up the trap. The rowdy spirit was trapped inside, and they were attempting to be careful with it, as the trap had sustained significant damage during their bust. Ok, so maybe the spirit had been a bit more than your average vapor, but they had handled it in the end. Now all they had to do was get back to the station, trap that sucker in the grid, fix the trap, and take a well-deserved nap. The thought of getting some rest brought a smile to Venkman's face.

"Well boys, we came! We saw! We kicked—"

Venkman was suddenly interrupted by a loud bang and a flash of bright blue light. Venkman threw his arm up to shield his eyes, but the flash disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, and the lighting in the subway station returned to normal.

Opening his eyes, Venkman looked over at the source of the disturbance to find a figure standing a short distance away from the team. The other three had stopped what they were doing and were now all staring at the figure as well.

From what they could see, it appeared to be humanoid, and it also appeared to be clad in bulky, green, full-body armor with a helmet to match. It looked like nothing any of them had ever seen before. Everyone stood dumbfounded. A brief moment of silence passed as the figure seemed to notice the four Ghostbusters standing before it aswell. Venkman was the first to speak.

"Gotta be honest guys," Venkman said softly so that the figure couldn't hear. "Never thought I'd see a stormtrooper in real-life."

The figure turned its head to Venkman. Obviously, it had heard what he had just said, and Venkman decided that it was time to break the ice.

"Hey there buddy, I think you're a bit late! Star Wars came out last year!"

The figure didn't respond.

"Guess he's not a movie guy," Venkman said to the team again.

"Guys…" Egon suddenly said.

The other three Ghostbusters turned to Egon, who was staring at the trap on the ground. It was vibrating slightly, and Egon had a worried look on his face.

"Did you…did you drop it?" Ray asked, worry creeping into his voice.

Egon didn't respond, and the trap began shaking more violently, as if to answer Ray's question.

The figure now turned to look at the trap as well, which was now rattling loudly on the concrete.

"Everybody back!" Ray yelled.

The four of them scattered and took what little cover was available as the trap exploded in a brilliant flash of white light.

A distinctive roar was heard as the spirit wrenched itself from its temporary prison. The spirit appeared to be at least 9 feet tall and floating with an ominous blue aura in the center of the station. The trap lay scrapped and burnt beside it.

It looked around and spied Venkman, who had trapped it in the first place with a containment beam, and vengeful recognition registered in its eyes.

Suddenly, a thunderous bang was heard, and a ripple seemed to pass through the ghost's form.

Everyone turned to see that the armor-clad figure had produced a shotgun seemingly from nowhere, and was now firing rounds at the ghost, none of which seemed to be affecting the spirit at all.

"Wait! Stop!" Ray cried out as he ducked to avoid the shotgun blasts.

"Projectile-based weaponry doesn't work on ghosts!"

The figure stopped firing and glanced in Ray's direction before seemingly pulling another gun out from nowhere. This one appeared to be more futuristic in its design, and any questions Venkman had were immediately trumped as the figure fired the weapon, sending a stream of blue plasma rounds directly into the ghost.

This time, the ghost screeched as the plasma tore through its form, holes in its vapor began to burn and widen, and the entire spirit seemed to melt as the figure continued firing. The screeching abruptly stopped as a plasma round vaporized the head of the specter.

The ghostbusters watched in awe as the ghostly figure went limp, then it seemed to evaporate into nothingness.

The armored-figure slowly lowered its plasma rifle, and Ray immediately stood up.

"Plasma! Your weapon uses plasma!" Ray was practically jumping for joy. Venkman smirked as he thought of a child on Christmas.

"How exciting! I originally thought of using plasma instead of the proton packs, but it was beyond our capabilities. I gotta have a look at that weapon!"

The figure stared back at Ray, and Venkman had a feeling that this mysterious ghost-killer wasn't about to hand it over.

"Wait a minute," Winston spoke up. "Spengler, don't we know this guy? I mean, isn't he in some of those texts you are always reading?"

Egon straightened his glasses and took a closer look at the figure, which had lowered its plasma rifle and was now still staring at them.

"I… I think you're right," Egon said, recognition appearing on his face. "If this is who I think it is, we have to get back to the station. Immediately."

"Whoa there, pal," Venkman said, holding his hand up for emphasis. "Just how important is this space-pirate? What is he, like Jesus or something?"

"If I'm right, and I'm pretty sure I am, this guy is basically the next best thing."

…

The figure glanced around the station as the Ghostbusters led it to Egon's personal library on all things supernatural. Egon had spent the last few months compiling a massive number of tomes on hell, heaven, and everything in between. Finally arriving at a haphazard stack of books in the study, the other three Busters waited awkwardly next to the behemoth with a gun standing next to them.

"Here. Here it is!" Egon opened a rather large tome to a specific page. There was a drawing on the page that depicted a figure fighting multiple hell monsters in what appeared to be a barren wasteland. Upon closer inspection, the four men could see that the figure was armed with a gun and was wearing armor nearly identical to the figure standing in the room with them.

Egon quickly pointed to the figure in the book. Then turned at looked at the figure.

"Is this you?"

The figure's expression was unreadable behind its visor, but it took a glance at the picture, and nodded once.

"Spengler, what's this writing underneath?"

Egon turned back to the book and read the text underneath. It was originally in Hebrew, and Egon had to pause a few times to remember the proper translation.

" _Some texts speak of an entity that all demons and ghosts fear. A figure armed with indestructible armor and an unstoppable killing power. Though mentions of this entity are few and far between, almost all of these texts refer to the entity as the Doom Slayer. He is described as a being with unbreakable determination, endless resolve, and unyielding force. Many believe that the continued delay of judgement day is due to this Doom Slayer, as he has decimated far too many hell spawn for Hell to successfully invade Earth. The Vatican denies the existence of the Doom Slayer, but many within the church still revere his name."_

As Egon finished, he frowned and turned back to the figure, the Doom Slayer.

"You didn't arrive here on purpose, did you?"

The figure nodded once again, indicating that Egon's assumption was indeed correct.

"How'd you figure that, Spengler?"

"There's no way he would want to be here," Egon replied. "And if he hasn't been here before, it is unlikely that he would have come her just for kicks."

Winston frowned in confusion, but let the subject go as Egon continued speaking.

"The technology that brought you here seems to emanate from your armor, perhaps I could take a look at it and maybe design a way for you to control it…"

"And maybe while you are doing that, I could get a quick look at that plasma weapon!" Ray chimed in.

The Doom Slayer look over at Ray, seemingly reluctant to relinquish his weapon, but ultimately seemed to decide that since they were helping him, he might as well help them too.

Holding the plasma rifle in one hand, the Doom Slayer reached out and deposited it in Ray's arms. The weapon was obviously heavier than Ray had previously thought, and he staggered under the unexpected weight. Before Ray could turn and leave however, the Doom Slayer pointed an armored finger at Ray. The gesture seemed to say, 'You break that thing, and I will break you.'

Ray got the message and nodded furiously before turning on his heel and rushing out the door.

"Alright," Egon said. "Let's have a look at that armor."

…

A few hours later, Egon finally produced what he hoped would remedy their situation. It had taken a while, since the Doom Slayer could only answer Egon's questions with a yes or no shake of his head, but Egon had finally been able to add a new system to the Slayer's 'Praetor' armor. The Doom Slayer himself was currently standing still, a few connectors and cords were attached to his armor, and Egon typed away furiously on a computer hooked up at the other end.

"Alright, after performing diagnostics on your armor, I noticed that the 'tether' system that brought you here is remotely controlled. As of a few hours ago, there was no way for you to activate the tether, so you were essentially at the mercy of whoever was at the controls. While the tether system itself is too far beyond our current understanding, the remote system used to activate it is quite similar to our own. You still with me so far?"

The Doom Slayer stared back at Egon. With a sigh, Egon decided to continue.

"To the point, I was able to add a new system to your armor that you can use to activate the tether. All you have to do, is this:"

Egon then held his right hand in a thumbs-up position toward the Doom Slayer, who seemed confused.

"I used your armor's sensory system to design a trigger for the tether. Now, every time you give a thumbs-up, the sensors in your gauntlet activate the tether."

The Doom Slayer then nodded, indicating that he understood.

"There is only one issue though," Egon said with a sigh. "All I was able to do was set up a way for you to activate the tether system, so even though you can use it, you will have no control over where it drops you off. It may take you back to where you came from, or it may drop you off in the middle of space. I just don't know. This tech is way beyond me."

The Doom Slayer nodded yet again, indicating that he was grateful all the same. At least, Egon hoped that was what he had meant.

"Hey!"

Egon and the Slayer both turned to see Ray enter that lab, the plasma rifle resting in his hands. Carefully, he held the weapon out to the Doom Slayer, who took it from him gently.

"I was able to learn so much just by examining the outside! The systems it uses are remarkable, some are certainly beyond our technological capabilities but others…others are things we should have thought about years ago! I'm absolutely astounded that we didn't see it before, Spengler!"

"So, we are still a long way from utilizing plasma?" Egon asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. But taking a few ideas from the plasma weapon has given me a multitude of ways to upgrade our proton packs, our equipment, even the trap! Increased beam strength and accuracy! Smaller packs with a longer half-life! A much wider range for the trap! The list goes on and on."

"Try not to make your head explode, Ray," Venkman said as he and Winston entered the lab. "You'll scare away the guest."

He nodded in greeting to the Doom Slayer, who nodded back.

"Well," Egon said. "Before I activate your tether control, I wanted to give you a little something to help you out in your future endeavors."

Typing a few more commands on the monitor, Egon hit the enter button before starting to remove the cords from the Doom Slayer's body.

"During my diagnostic scan on your armor, I noticed that your suit doesn't have any sort of paranormal detection system on it. So, I took the liberty of installing one of our P.K.E. scanners onto your visor. It allows you to detect psycho-kinetic energy, meaning that even if a ghost or demon or whatever you're up against decided to go invisible, you'd still be able to see their psycho-kinetic energy through your visor. In other words, you will always be able to see them."

The Doom Slayer nodded yet again to Egon, and Egon figured it was the best thanks he was going to get.

Finally removing the last cord from the Doom Slayer's armor, Egon gestured for everyone to take a few steps back.

"Well, that's everything. You now can activate the tether system at will. So, I guess this is goodbye."

Egon gave the Doom Slayer a thumbs up. The Doom Slayer turned and looked at the four Ghostbusters in the room, then turned to the front and gave Egon a thumbs up in return.

With a loud bang and a blue flash of light, the Doom Slayer disappeared.

The four Ghostbusters stared at the spot where the Slayer had disappeared, then Venkman broke the silence, as usual.

"Anyone mind telling me why we didn't try to convince him to stay? I can't help but get a bit excited at the thought of all of us kicking ass with plasma rifles. That guy could've made our job so much easier."

"Trust me, Venkman," Egon said as he turned to leave the room. "That guy is the only reason Hell hasn't found its way to Earth yet. He's made our job easier than we could ever imagine."


	2. It Follows

Chapter 2

"Jay?"

Jay looked up from the cup of coffee she had been cradling in her hands. It had grown cold since she had purchased it an hour ago. Across from her sat Paul, and he reached out and took her hand, worry evident in his eyes. All around them, customers laughed or relaxed in the small coffee shop that they currently occupied. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and Jay wished she could say the same. Jay took a deep breath.

"It's not gone, Paul. It can't be dead."

Paul's expression didn't change as he silently looked back at her. After a moment, he spoke.

"You don't think it's gone?"

Jay looked down for a moment, then back up at Paul.

"It's out there. We couldn't have killed it."

"Why not?"

"It's taken gunshots before and survived. It can't be gone."

Now it was Paul's turn to look at the ground. His grip tightened around Jay's hand, and Jay could feel him start to tremble. Jay realized that Paul had never seen it before, and it was still a bit of a mystery to him. He had never felt the crippling uselessness of trying to hide. Never realized that it always knew where you were. He had never felt the desperation of trying to run from it. No matter how far you ran, it would catch up with you. It was a relentless and unceasing nightmare, and they only way they could find some temporary escape was to cast it onto someone else and watch the terror on their face as they realized the size of the burden they now carried.

Jay remembered how she had felt when she had first realized just how hard living with it could be. Every single aspect of her life had become saturated with fear. Constantly looking over her shoulder and scanning every single face she saw in the crowd to see if it had found her again.

"Jay," Paul spoke up again. "I…I passed it on."

Jay said nothing, and Paul took a breath and then continued.

"I thought that if I gave it to a hooker, maybe it would get far enough away from us. We wouldn't have to worry anymore. I mean, giving it to one of them could keep it away from us for a very long time. I'm…sorry I didn't tell you."

Jay shook her head slowly.

"Paul…" Jay gave his trembling hand a light squeeze back. "No matter what we do, that thing will keep coming back. No matter how many people we put between ourselves and it, that thing will find its way to us eventually. I want to believe that there is a solution. I really do, but we can never think that it's gone."

Jay saw Paul deflate further at her words, and she too felt a pang in her chest as she yet again reminded herself of how futile their situation was.

"There has to be something…" Paul said, his voice cracking slightly. "Anything, anything we can do to fight this…this demon."

Jay said nothing in return. She didn't have any answers, but God did she wish she did.

She solemnly stood up from their table, her hand still in Paul's.

"Come on, let's go home. Maybe we can think of something there."

Paul nodded wordlessly. All of his energy seemed to have been sapped from him due to their previous conversation.

"Yeah…" he finally managed. "Ok."

The two of them walked out of the small shop together. Each of them grasping onto each other's hand like a lifeline. They climbed into Jay's car, and Jay started the engine. After a few turns, they had left the parking lot and were now back on the road. Jay was thinking.

"Maybe we shouldn't go home," Jay said as they drove.

Paul turned to look at her.

"Why?"

"I think if we want to try and get rid of it, we are going to have to find some more information on it. We can't beat it if we don't know what it is."

Paul frowned. "Where are we gonna find some more information about this thing?"

Jay turned right and continued down the street.

"The library…I guess. Maybe something or someone can help us there."

Paul said nothing as Jay turned another corner.

Neither of them noticed a figure shuffling along on the sidewalk. As they passed by, the figure turned and switched its direction, following the car.

…

The two of them remained silent as they pulled up to the library, which was located in a small outlet mall, with a hardware store and a few restaurants located on either side of it. Jay parked the car, and both her and Paul got out. Both remained silent as they went inside.

The first thing they did was consult the catalog. They searched for anything they could find about monsters, demons, anything supernatural that could give them a clue as to this nightmarish being.

For a few hours they both searched, each poring over numerous tomes on demonic lore and supernatural creatures. Both kept coming up empty-handed, until Paul gestured for Jay to come over with a wave of his hand.

"You found something?" Jay asked as she walked over.

"Maybe," Paul said. "I think whatever this book is talking about is linked to it."

Jay looked over Paul's shoulder, and they each read the passage in silence.

 _For lo and behold, of relentless fiend and endless despair,_

 _Blood finds chill, veins to ice, in presence of its stare._

 _Though chase ends in death, for victim and prey,_

 _Tis not true sustenance, forgoing consumption for play._

 _Nay, tis torment, sinister and pure,_

 _that which strengthens the villain, its true allure._

 _Though comfort not taken, my soul feels lightened,_

 _To know motives true, finds me less frightened._

 _Take heed all sinners, for truth you must know._

 _Tis not your body, but the fear that you show._

"Jay…"

"Who wrote this? Where is it from?"

Paul closed the book to show Jay its cover. Jay read the title:

'Ravings of madmen, truth or personification?'

"The writer of the poem was named Henry Lancaster," Paul spoke again, reading from the book. "He was arrested for robbery in 1954. The book says he was compliant the entire time during his arrest. But once he got to prison, he immediately requested solitary confinement. When it was denied, he started a fight with the other inmates, and then got his wish. He seemed content with his solitary confinement, and wrote multiple poems and stories depicting a creature that stalked him day and night. He was found dead a few days after being committed to the prison. The door to his cell had been broken open, and he was dead. His body had been mangled horribly."

Jay suddenly remembered how Greg had died. How the demon had slaughtered him and then…defiled him before her eyes. Jay shook her head to try and banish the memory.

"It doesn't feed on killing us," she said slowly. "It survives by…by torturing us."

Paul slowly brought his gaze up to meet hers. She looked back at him.

"That's why it's slow. Why it doesn't run or drive or anything. It wants us to fear it first."

Paul slowly opened his mouth to say something but was cut short by a loud bang and a bright flash of blue light.

The two of them blinked away the brightness and turned to look at the source of the disturbance. Loose papers billowed around wildly, and the shelves rattled. Suddenly, the light faded, and the duo now saw a figure standing in its place. It looked like man, but it could have been a woman too. Jay couldn't tell due to the figure being covered in a dark green armor from head to toe.

Both Jay and Paul stared in bewilderment as the armored man turned his head to look around the library, seemingly getting his bearings. When he realized where he was, his demeanor changed. He now seemed to be searching for something. Suddenly, his gaze stopped on the both of them. Jay couldn't tell for sure, but he appeared to be observing them, as though they were something new he hadn't seen before.

The man then made his way towards the two of them, making a loud thud every time he took a step.

Reaching their table, the man stopped and stared at the two of them up close for a moment before suddenly reaching out and grabbing Paul roughly by his chin.

Paul grunted and struggled, but the armored man's grip held, and he turned Paul's head from side to side, examining him.

"Hey, stop!" Jay said from her seat.

The man turned his head to Jay, then looked down at the pile of tomes on demons and monsters the two of them had on their table.

He then shook his head and pushed Paul rather unceremoniously back down into his chair. Standing up, he turned and walked back further into the library, towards the history section. Paul and Jay both followed him with their gaze and watched him as he disappeared behind a bookshelf.

"What the hell was that?" Paul asked, rubbing his chin where the man had grabbed him.

Jay said nothing, then shook her head and turned back around to see Greg walking up to their table. At first, Jay wondered how Greg knew that the two of them were at the library. They hadn't told anyone that they had left.

Then she remembered: Greg was dead, and it always knew where they were.

It was here.

Jay screamed and grabbed Paul by the arm. Paul whirled around and saw it walking towards them. This was the first time he had seen it, and it had taken the form of Greg.

The two of them scrambled up from their chairs and started shuffling backwards. It just kept coming towards them. Jay suddenly felt a sense of dread as she remembered something.

"Paul," Jay said, her voice frantic. "Paul it wants you. It's here for you."

Paul said nothing, his eyes were wide and focused as the demon kept walking closer.

"Paul listen to me. We have to go. We have—"

A loud boom was heard, and the demon was thrown backward as blood erupted from its chest. The two of them were stunned, then turned around to see that the armored man was back.

And he was holding a shotgun.

They watched as the man pumped the shotgun and walked forward to where the demon was beginning to recover from the blast.

The man kicked it down again, then fired a round into its head at point-blank range. The demon's head exploded, and blood splattered all over the floor, the bookcases, and the man himself.

The man turned and looked at Jay and Paul, but the both of them stared wide-eyed at the monster on the ground.

Its head was slowly regenerating. Skin and tissue were beginning to reform from the base of the neck and was slowly working its way up.

This seemed to annoy the shotgun-wielding man, and Jay watched as he brought an armored boot down hard on the regenerating head, causing it to crumple and explode again under the force of the impact.

The man then watched as the head began to regrow again, and this time, he seemed to lose his patience. Jay watched as he grabbed the headless demon by the hole in its neck and drag it out the door of the library and into the parking lot. Jay and Paul remained frozen in place as the man disappeared from sight, then they both jumped as thunderous explosion shook the walls of the library, accompanied by a brilliant flash of green light. The massive boom shook the two teenagers to the core, and the two of them ran outside as the green light faded.

The scene in the parking lot looked like a meteor strike. There was a small crater in the asphalt, and the area around it was seared, cars and pavement alike. The man stood at the edge of the crater, his hands again empty. He was looking in. Jay and Paul tentatively stepped up to the crater and looked in as well. At first, neither of them saw anything, then Paul pointed and Jay saw a half-formed skull sitting in the seared Earth. Jay watched it for any tell-tale signs of life, but the skull remained still.

"Wha…what did you do it?" Jay asked the man.

The man turned and looked at her. Though she couldn't see his face through the visor, Jay got the gist of his response.

' _Was that a trick question?'_

Jay looked back at the remains of the monster. They weren't regrowing, or standing up, or attempting to move at all. The just sat there.

As Jay continued to watch, she slowly began to believe what she was seeing. It was gone. Dead. It wasn't coming back, and at that thought, Jay suddenly felt…lighter. Lighter than she had ever felt before. And it was amazing. She grabbed Paul and enveloped him in a hug, tears coming from her eyes. Happiness exploded in her chest, not unlike a similar explosion from a few moments earlier, as she held on tight to the feeling.

After a moment, she turned back to the man, who now was looking at the window of the hardware store. Though many people were gathered at the window, dumbfounded at the scene before them, the man appeared to be more interested in the variety of chainsaws displayed above them.

"Thank you," Jay said. "Thank you."

The man turned back to the two of them, then gave them a thumbs up.

There was a loud bang and a flash of blue light, then the man was gone.

 _A/N: Alright! Part 2 is in! For those who don't know, this chapter takes place in the movie, "It Follows". I like the premise of this movie, and even though you don't really need a Doom Slayer get rid of that demon, I thought it'd be fun to throw him in there. Not sure which one I'm going to do next, but I have a few ideas. As always, feel free to drop a review if you have any suggestions for me! Thanks!_

 _-ImpulsiveWeaver_


	3. The Evil Dead

Chapter 3

 _A/N: Part three is coming in hot! This time, we are delving into a personal favorite: the "Evil Dead" series. This one features the charismatic Ash Williams, and I've set the time period as a few months after the events of "Army of Darkness". That should set the scene well for a possible meet and greet between our two heroes. Remember to leave a comment telling me how much you love/hate the chapter. Remember that I own nothing!_

Ash took another puff from his joint as he drove down the highway. The Delta was having no trouble towing his recently purchased Airstream trailer, and that's why Ash loved it. Looking at the clock on the dashboard, Ash saw that he was making pretty good time. In fact, he would be at the trailer park in just a few hours. After that, he planned to spend his night with a beer in one hand and a blonde in the other.

Ash frowned and looked down at his right hand, or at least, where his right hand should have been. A rather disappointing stump was what he saw, and Ash realized with sorrow that unless learned how to juggle, he would have to choose between the blonde or the beer.

Thinking back, Ash remembered his old mechanized hand he made back in the middle ages. They had some good times together, but that bad boy was long gone now. After Ash had awoken from his 600-year nap, the metal gauntlet had been useless. Despite Ash not aging or decaying at all during the time he was asleep, his metal hand had been another story. When he had awoken, the hand had rusted beyond repair, and since Ash had no use for a 600-year-old paperweight, he had discarded it as scrap.

Now, he was back to one, his left hand, which was currently on the steering wheel of the Delta, leaving Ash with no other extremities available to entertain himself with. Ash sighed as he spent the rest of the ride contemplating whether we would take the blonde or the beer.

A few hours later, Ash pulled into the trailer park. The sun was just beginning to set behind the trees, and long shadows were cast on the rock as Ash maneuvered through the turns. The park itself was nestled comfortably in the woods, and as Ash pulled into his designated spot, he looked to his left and saw a big crowd of people beginning to form through the trees. They were about 100 yards away, but Ash could make out that most of them were young kids, roughly college or high-school age. From what Ash could see, the event itself looked to be some sort of massive concert.

Ash smiled.

"Jackpot," he said to himself as he parked the Delta. Ash was currently in high spirits, as he had finally arrived at the conclusion that he would be able to have the beer and the blonde at the same time, and a massive concert was the perfect place to acquire copious amounts of both.

Ash climbed out of his car, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, and walked the short distance to the main office of the trailer park. Stepping inside, Ash saw that in addition to an old guy at the desk, there were several young party-goers milling about in the chairs and sofas that were placed around the office. Up close, Ash saw that they all were dressed in bright neon colors, as expected of teenagers about to enter a sexually-charged, drug-bountiful event just a short distance away.

Ash winked at a few of the cute girls as he sauntered up to the front desk.

"Hey pops, I'm in stall six, here for one night."

The old guy looked up at Ash. Then took out a pencil and began writing the information in a notebook.

"That'll be $50," the guy said tiredly.

"Hmmmmm," Ash said, rubbing his beautiful chin. "Here's the 411 daddio, I'm a little short in the cash department at the moment. You wouldn't happen to have any 'first-time discounts', would you?"

The guy stared back at Ash with a bored expression.

"Might wanna look into that then," Ash said as he begrudgingly reached into his duffel bag for his wallet. "It's basic marketing technique."

As Ash brought his wallet out, the Necronomicon caught on his hand and tumbled out onto the floor of the office.

"Ah crap," Ash said, bending over to pick up the book. That little leather-bound bastard was still giving him trouble after all of these years.

"Yo man! What's that?" one of the teenagers asked from behind Ash.

Standing up again, Ash turned around.

"What? This little shit?" Ash held up the book for emphasis. "It's called the Necronomicon, and it will permanently fuck up your life if you read any of it. Try to think of it like Herpes but in book form."

"What does it do?"

"Emanates evil," Ash replied with mock cheerfulness. "Summons demons, kills all of your friends, leaves the toilet seat up, you name it!"

Ash turned back around and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill.

"Keep the change," Ash said as he turned and left.

The desk guy flipped him the bird behind his back.

Walking back to the trailer, Ash opened the door and stepped inside. The new trailer smell filled his nostrils, and Ash breathed a sigh of contentment has he set down his bag and plopped down onto the bed. Outside, Ash could hear the crowd getting excited as the concert began to start. Electro-bass music boomed and slightly rattled the metal walls of the new trailer. That music was going to keep the entire trailer park awake all night, but Ash had no problem with that. None of his plans for the evening involved getting sleep.

Ash sat up and walked over to the fridge. Pulling out a beer, Ash cracked it open and began to get prepared for the night ahead. All 'getting ready' really meant was checking his hair in the mirror and putting on a splash of cologne. Satisfied with his minimal work on his appearance, Ash set his beer down and stepped outside to take a leak before heading over to the concert. After walking a short distance into the woods, Ash started whistling as he relieved himself, but then stopped when he heard a loud bang and saw a flash of blue light out of the corner of his eye.

Ash frowned and looked over in the direction he thought the light came from, but he couldn't see anything through the dense foliage.

After a few more seconds of searching, Ash shrugged and figured it must have been from the concert, even though the concert had been in the other direction. Whatever.

Ash exhaled and zipped up his pants. Turning on his heel, he started walking towards the direction of the concert, falling into a swagger that worked wonders on the ladies. Ash quickly stopped and turned back to the trailer after he realized that he had almost forgotten his beer. He couldn't forget that. That was one of the two b's he was going to have tonight. Ash chuckled to himself, but then frowned as he looked at the trailer.

The door was open. Had he left it that way? Ash struggled to remember if he had accidently forgotten to shut it before heading out. That question was immediately answered when he heard a voice from inside the trailer. It was a girl's voice, and she was speaking…Sumerian?

"Not good," Ash said as he rushed into the trailer. Inside, there was a girl sitting on his bed, one of those pretty girls form the office. Normally, Ash would've been overjoyed to see her on his bed, except this girl was currently reading a passage from the Necronomicon.

"Du shama, reh tay no!" She chanted. The wind began to blow outside, and in Ash's experience, that had never been a good sign.

"Hey! Stop!" Ash cried out as he rushed forward. He reached out to grab the book from her hands, but she finished the incantation just before he got to it. A burst of energy emanated from the Necronomicon, and Ash was thrown backward into the wall of the trailer.

Pulling himself up Ash looked at the girl as she started laughing.

"Yes! Yes!" she cried out.

"Uh…not yes!" Ash yelled at her. "Do you have any idea what you just did?!"

"Oh yes I do!" The girl cheerfully cried out. "I have awakened the Kandarian Demon, and soon, mankind will kneel before their new rulers! The world will be made whole again!"

"Oh great! Satanists!" Ash yelled, throwing his hands into the air. "Why is it always Satanists that have to ruin my good time?"

Ash suddenly went silent as he heard an all-too-familiar roar in the distance. It was coming. No, it was already here.

Ash looked back at the girl, but she was gone.

"Oh…shit balls," Ash said to himself. He made a beeline for his duffel bag, which contained all of his 'essentials'.

Ash reached inside and pulled out the Boomstick, briefly enjoying the sight of the sawed-off shotgun. It's cobalt blue steel finish and walnut stock always made Ash just a little bit happier when he saw it. Before he could reach back inside and pull out his other baby, the girl jumped from nowhere onto his back, screaming and wailing.

To call her a girl still would be a bit of a stretch, as her body had undergone a hideous transformation. Her eyes were now completely white with no pupils or iris to be seen, her skin bulged in places that skin should never bulge, and her face was now covered in wrinkles and blemishes, as though her own skin no longer fit her.

She was now…a Deadite.

Ash yelled and stood up wildly as the now possessed girl held tight to his back and tried to claw at his flesh. Ash bucked and heaved to try and shake the demon off, but her grip was like iron.

"Yeah, ride em cowboy!" the Deadite called out. A malicious grin appeared on its features.

"Time's up, kiddo!" Ash said as he rammed the Deadite against the wall of the trailer. The Deadite grunted in pain but still held on. Ash stepped forward, then threw his back into the wall again, attempting to squish the Deadite between himself and the wall of the trailer. The Deadite grunted again, but still managed to keep its hold on Ash's back.

Ash was about to try to ram it again when the sound of screeching metal pierced his eardrums. Looking wildly at the source of the noise. Ash realized that the Deadite had now released its grip on his back. Stumbling forward, Ash whirled around to see the Deadite failing about wildly in midair. Closer inspection revealed that an arm had punched through the wall of the trailer and was now holding the Deadite against the wall by the throat, thus suspending her in air. Ash looked at the arm that had pierced the wall of his new trailer and noticed that it appeared to be covered in green armor plating, seemingly a suit of some kind.

Ash was suddenly taken aback as the arm then heaved backward, pulling the Deadite through the wall in a chorus of screaming and metal grinding against itself. As a result of the Deadite being pulled through, a sizeable chunk from the side of Ash's brand-new trailer came through with it.

"Aw man!" Ash yelled. "Now I gotta fix that!"

Grumbling, Ash ran over to his duffel bag. Reaching inside, Ash pulled out his signature baby, the Homelite chainsaw. With a solid click and a snap, Ash locked the chainsaw into place on his stump. Home sweet home. Then with his free hand, Ash yanked hard on the pull cord, and the chainsaw sputtered a bit before roaring to life.

"Yeah!" Ash yelled with vigor before jumping through the man-sized hole in his trailer.

Once outside, Ash raised his chainsaw and shotgun, ready for a fight. What he saw instead was a figure rip the head clean off of the Deadite girl that had been tormenting Ash mere moments ago.

With his bare hands.

Ash stared in bewilderment at the figure. Who was this guy? Was he a demon? And why was he dressed in some sort of futuristic space-suit?

The figure discarded the now headless Deadite, his expression unreadable due to his helmet obstructing his features. Ash spoke up.

"Chief, I appreciate the help, but this situation could've gone a lot better, for me I mean."

Ash gestured to the metal hole in his trailer with his chainsaw hand.

The figure glanced at the hole, then turned his head in the direction of the concert. Ash turned as well. He heard it too. Screams, lots of them, and not the kind you normally hear at concerts. Ash slumped his shoulders as he realized just how many of them were probably Deadites already. And he had a shotgun and a chainsaw. Those odds weren't looking to good. Ah well, at least he had the astronaut over here to help him out. He was going to help right?

Turning back to the figure, Ash held up his shotgun and waved it a little bit.

"I don't suppose you got one of these, do ya spaceman?"

The figure looked back at Ash, then seemingly pulled a large double-barreled shotgun from nowhere. Ash's eyes widened at the sudden appearance of the weapon.

"That's…not bad," Ash said. "It's a good start, but you might need to get your hands dirty. Just sayin."

Ash shouldn't have been surprised as the figure then pulled out a chainsaw of his own, the motor running and idling patiently. Instead, he chose to be impressed.

"Groovy," Ash said with a smirk.

…

The scene at the concert was bloody. Most of the concert-goers were either lying dead on the floor or were shuffling along as Deadites. Some laughing manically while others were ripping limbs off of already dead corpses.

Suddenly, Ash burst through the tree line, yelling as loud as he could and revving the chainsaw. The armored figure ran along right next to him. The Deadites all looked up in surprise, and Ash grinned as he threw himself at the closest ones.

Brandishing his chainsaw, Ash shoved the weapon through the chest of his first unfortunate victim and heaved upward. The chainsaw caught and sprayed blood everywhere, and with one last heave, Ash forced the chainsaw up the Deadite's head and out of the top of its skull. The Deadite was now cut in half from the top of its skull to the sternum, and Ash stepped back as the body split and fell apart. Without hesitation Ash whirled around and shoved the barrel of the shotgun into the mouth of another Deadite and squeezed the trigger. The Deadite's head immediately vaporized as the shotgun fired.

"Yeah! How you holdin up, spaceman?" Ash called turning around to check on the armor-clad figure.

Ash was startled to see that in the time it had taken for him to kill two Deadites, the armored juggernaut had cleaved a massive hole in the crowd with his own chainsaw. His body count easily in the double digits.

"Holy shit…" Ash said under his breath. He was quickly pulled back to the situation at hand as Deadites began to swarm him. Quickly reloading his shotgun, Ash revved the chainsaw again.

"Let's dance!"

Over the course of the next few minutes, Ash and the mysterious armored figure fell into a rhythm of slaughter. Each finding their own pace as they smashed through the horde of former concert-goers.

At one point, the armored Deadite-killing machine had pulled out a fragmentation grenade and had tossed it into the ranks of Deadites. The resulting explosion had sent blood and body parts everywhere, and Ash had almost been hit by a flying arm in the process.

"Yo, Metal Guy! Toss me one of those grenades you got!" Ash called across the carnage.

Without so much as turning his head, the man pulled out another grenade and tossed sideways to Ash, who caught it gracefully.

"I'm gonna eat your limbs!" An approaching female Deadite yelled to Ash. She had blonde hair, and Ash almost lamented having to kill her. Almost.

With little hesitation, Ash stuffed the grenade into the screaming Deadite's mouth, pulled the pin, and kicked her backward into an oncoming crowd of undead.

"Dinner before dessert, babe!"

Then the Deadite exploded, the resulting blast sending any nearby Deadites flying as well.

"You coulda been a hell of a fling…" Ash mourned before charging back into the fray.

A few minutes, half the chainsaw's gas, and a whole lot of shotgun shells later. Ash stepped back and viewed his handiwork. Blood and guts saturated the field where the concert had been, and the sea of red glowed ominously in the light of the fires that had sprung up during the carnage.

Beside him, the armored figure (or Metal Guy, Ash was beginning to like that nickname) stomped on the heads of the remaining Deadites, preventing them from coming back for round two.

Ash had no idea how Metal Guy knew that the Deadite's head had to be removed to ensure its death, but he was glad to see that communication had not been necessary in that regard.

"Name's Ash by the way. Ash Williams."

Metal Guy looked over at Ash, then nodded his head once in acknowledgment before turning back to skull crushing.

"Not much of a talker, huh? Works well for me."

Ash then saw a shiny bit of metal sticking out from under a Deadite's headless corpse. Shifting the corpse to the side, Ash's mood perked up as he realized that it was a full can of beer. Completely unopened.

Despite the fact that the can itself was covered with dirt and blood, Ash wiped it off the best he could before cracking it open and taking a long swig.

He let out a contented sigh after bringing the beer down from his lips, and at that point, Metal Guy walked back over.

Ash frowned slightly.

"You look like you gotta be somewhere else, bucko."

Metal Guy nodded once.

"Well, I don't wanna keep ya. Besides, I should probably bail too." Ash surveyed the horror show around him. It was probably only a few more minutes before the cops showed up, and Ash wouldn't look very innocent covered in blood.

"So anyway, I guess I'll see you around then, Metal Guy," Ash said, raising his beer in a toast.

Metal Guy nodded once again, then reached up and gave Ash a thumbs up with his right hand. With a blue flash of light and a loud bang, Metal Guy was gone.

"Huh, so that's what that light was earlier," Ash said. That explained where the light had come from earlier when he had been squeezing the lemon in the woods. Ash thought he should've been surprised by Metal Guy's sudden appearance and disappearance like that, but in the end, Ash realized that he had seen much stranger things than that.

Shrugging his shoulders, Ash picked up his shotgun and began to walk back to the Delta, leaving the mutilated Deadite bodies behind him.

"Guess I'll have to put the blonde on hold tonight," Ash said with a sigh.


	4. A Quiet Place

Chapter 4

 _A/N: Boom! I'm back sooner than I thought! And this time, I've thrown in a relatively new movie into the mix. This time, the Doom Slayer has found himself in "A Quiet Place", and he's about to make some noise! To be honest, that last joke was terrible, but I simply couldn't resist putting it in there. Anyway, remember to leave a comment expressing your deepest gratitude/disgust at the story! And always remember that I own nothing!_

Regan pulled the microphone towards her. They were coming. The first one was dead and now two more were coming. Regan turned to look at the one that now lay dead on the floor. Its head was gone, and blood had begun to pool on the concrete around it. Regan then looked up at her mother, the one who had killed it.

Evelyn looked back at her, shotgun in hand. Regan couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw a slight smile on her mother's face. Her mother then lifted the shotgun into the air and cocked it. Regan did not know what noise the shotgun made when it cycled like that, but she was certain that it sounded intimidating.

Out of the corner of Regan's eye, she caught a glimpse of a bright light suddenly appear on one of the monitors, and her attention instantly was drawn toward it. Evelyn frowned and turned to see what Regan was looking at.

The monitor that the light had come from now displayed an image of what appeared to be a man. The picture was grainy, but Regan saw that he appeared to be wearing some kind of suit, making his figure appear more bulky and jagged. Who was that?

Evelyn and Regan shared a brief look of confusion before turning back to the monitor. The man seemed to be scanning the area, as though he was looking for something. He seemed to find it when in the distance, Regan saw the two creatures burst through the tree line, moving impossibly fast in a straight line towards the man, who stared back at them.

Regan watched as the man suddenly produced a large machine out of nowhere. She couldn't make out the details of what the man was holding, but it was almost as large as she was, and the man seemed to be holding it in both hands with ease. The creatures were almost upon him now, but the man still stood his ground, silently holding the bulking machine in his hands. One of the creatures reached him first, and Regan's heart jumped as the creature leapt into the air with on giant claw raised, ready to crush the man.

Regan's anguish suddenly turned into surprise as the machine kicked in the man's hands, and a beam shot out from the end, striking the monster square in the chest. The force of the beam overpowered the monster's momentum, and the creature flailed wildly as it was blasted backward like a rag doll.

At this point, the second creature reached the man, and Regan watched as he rolled out of the way when the creature reached out to strike him. The man came out of his roll, and suddenly had another item in his hands. This item was smaller, and Regan could only guess that it was another weapon. She was quickly proven correct as the man fired the weapon at the monster that had swiped at him, and the creature reeled backward from the force of the impact. The man then fired at the creature again, then again. Taking slow steps forward with each shot as he closed the distance. The weapon appeared to be a shotgun, as Regan could make out the movement of the man pumping the gun each time he fired. Regan watched each muzzle flash through the camera, and when the man had finally reached the creature, he took one hand off the shotgun and grabbed the monster's head. The other hand was still holding the shotgun, and Regan gasped again as the man brought the weapon up to the creature's neck and squeezed the trigger.

Blood erupted from the creature's neck, and with a heave, the man pulled the monster's head free from its shoulders. Regan felt a myriad of emotions at the scene before her, but all were immediately overpowered by dread as both her and the man seemed to have forgotten about the other monster, which had recovered from the beam weapon he had used on it earlier.

Regan cried out as the creature closed the distance and swatted the man as he turned. The force of the melee attack sent the man flying through the air and off-screen. The monster roared then charged off-camera as well to the direction the man had flown to. No other cameras were in a position to see what was happening.

At this sight, Evelyn seemed to regain her senses. Turning around, quickly signed to both Regan and Marcus, who still sat safely in the corner with the baby.

'Stay here.' Her hands said as she rushed for the stairs. Regan quickly ran to follow, but Evelyn turned around and put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head no.

Evelyn showed her the hearing implant in her hand.

'I can help!' She signed franticly.

Evelyn considered for a moment, then slowly nodded her head. Together, the two of them ran up the stairs. At the top, they rounded the corner and sprinted out the front door.

Regan quickly scanned the field in an attempt to find where the man and creature had gone. Evelyn then pointed in a direction off to their left, and the two of them sprinted in that direction. They ran for a few seconds, then Regan saw the two of them. The creature was crawling on the ground a short distance away. Both of its legs were missing, and one of its arms was broken in multiple places, making it unusable. Its black skin was also covered with burns, some sizzling against its thick hide while others seared through its armored exterior to the soft skin beneath. The creature was attempting to crawl away with its remaining arm, but the man was quickly closing the distance. He had another weapon in his hands, but this one appeared to be smaller, and almost unorthodox in its design. It looked like something from the future, and Regan kept glancing at it as the mother and daughter ran to the scene.

Evelyn waved her free hand and called out to the man, and he paused and turned to look at the two of them as they ran up. As they reached him, Regan realized that the hearing implant was still turned on because the creature began twitching and writhing on the ground, its mouth opening and closing in what Regan guessed were screams and howls. The plates on its head were opening and closing as well, and Regan watched as they opened wide and exposed the sensitive pink skin underneath. The man noticed this as well, and he looked from the approaching duo to the creature and back again, not understanding what the cause of the pain was. Evelyn and Regan stopped a few feet away and took a moment to catch their breath. The figure was still looking back and forth from the creature to them, but he now focused in on the implant in Regan's hand. He knew. Somehow, and Regan had no idea how, he knew.

He then turned and fired a burst of the futuristic weapon into the creature's head. Bright blue pulses burst into the creature's cranium, and the creature immediately fell still.

The man then turned back to them, and Regan saw him up close for the first time. Up close, she saw that he was wearing a suit of armor that covered every inch of his body, even his head. The visor that covered his face was pitch black, and his helmet had a strange marking just above his left eyebrow.

Evelyn then began speaking to the figure, the shotgun held closely at her side as she conversed with the armored figure. Regan didn't know if the man spoke or not, as his visor covered his face, so reading lips had been impossible. When Regan thought about it, he looked like a hero from those sci-fi movies that she had scavenged before.

Both Evelyn and the figure then turned their heads to the nearby tree line. Both of them seemingly hearing the something from that direction. While the man betrayed no emotion, Evelyn's face suddenly contorted in fear, and as Regan looked in that direction as well, what she saw made her blood run cold.

In the distance, trees began shaking and rattling. Not just one, but dozens, indicating that something big was coming. Or many smaller things. Then closer trees started shaking, then closer ones, then closer ones…

The man suddenly pointed toward the house, and Regan barely had time to think before her mother grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the tree line and back to the house. As Regan ran, she looked over her shoulder to see the armored man running directly toward the shaking trees, which were still growing closer. He was fast, almost faster than the monsters were. What was he?

As they reached the house, Evelyn pulled Regan back down the stairs and into the basement, slamming the door behind them. The pair rushed down the stairs, and Evelyn beckoned Marcus over to them as they ran to the monitors. Regan quickly scanned each screen until she saw the one that covered the tree line. She squinted hard, and she just caught the sight of the man as he disappeared into the foliage.

For a few moments, everything was still, then Regan saw faint flashes of light appear from the tree line. The flashes were sporadic and faint, but Regan could not see anything else through the dense trees. Evelyn and Marcus both turned their heads slightly, and Regan caught on that there must have been a lot of noise coming from the tree line.

Suddenly, a large flash of light engulfed the camera feed, then each camera suddenly went to static before Regan's eyes. She stared confused for a second, then a massive tremor shook the house. The initial shockwave took Regan's breath from her body, and Evelyn grabbed Regan and Marcus and held them close to her. Regan could feel the vibrations rattle her bones to the core as the tremor subsided.

The cameras were still all static, but Regan watched her mother's face. She could tell that there was still noise coming from outside, and then she ducked her head and squeezed her family tight as another tremor shook the foundations of the house. Regan had no doubt as to the source of the explosion, but that only made her all the more scared as she clung to her family for dear life. The tremor subsided, and Regan looked up at her mother, searching for any information.

Evelyn waited for a few moments, then slowly stood up and took a step back, her eyes moving around quickly. She appeared to be listening. All appeared to be quiet, and Evelyn motioned the kids to follow her up the stairs. At the top, she gently nudged the door open with the shotgun, and Regan waited and watched as she led them outside and onto the front porch. Regan's eyes widened as they started walking towards the tree line.

The tree line was now scorched, with a few small fires springing up at the entrance. Trees were now leaning sideways or falling over, but what stood out most of all was that there were now two places where the trees had entirely disappeared. Two barren rings of emptiness broke the uninterrupted foliage, and the trees around the outside appeared blackened and broken. Their leaves had all been burned away.

And out of the tree line walking towards them, was the armored man. This time, he was carrying a massive weapon, even bigger than the one that he had used before. Regan stared in awe as he approached, his armor seemingly unharmed despite the obvious carnage that had just occurred.

Evelyn began speaking to him again, but this time, she used sign language as well so that Regan could understand too.

'Are they all gone?'

The man nodded.

Evelyn's shoulders relaxed, and she continued.

'There are more. Everywhere. All across the world.'

The man may have said something, but he did not sign any response.

'You could stay. You could help us fight.'

At this, the man shook his head no.

'Please,' Evelyn desperately signed. 'We cannot fight them on our own.'

In response, the man turned and pointed at the implant in Regan's hand, then at a point in the distance. Regan followed his finger with her eyes, and just at the edge of her vision, she saw a long spire reaching into the sky. It was a radio tower, and Regan immediately understood where the man was going with this. Evelyn seemed uncertain for a few moments, then she nodded as well.

'Thank you. Thank you so much.'

The man nodded once. Then he took a step back. He surveyed the family for a moment, then gave them a thumbs up.

Regan saw a flash of blue light, then the man was gone. Regan could not believe her eyes.

The family stared baffled at the spot he had disappeared from. Regan looked around wildly, trying to see if she could see him sneaking away somewhere. Seeing nothing, she turned and looked back to see that Evelyn had taken the baby from Marcus, who approached her. He seemed a little bit shaken up. Regan signed to him her concerns.

'I'm alright,' he signed back. 'I just have never seen anything like that before.'

Regan nodded.

'Where did he go?'

'I don't know,' Marcus responded. 'He just disappeared.'

'Did he say anything? At all?'

'No.'

Regan turned to look at the forest again. And for the first time in a long time, a genuine smile crept onto her face.


	5. The Hills Have Eyes

Chapter 5

 _A/N: Hey howdy hey! I'm back, and this time, The Doom Slayer is getting wound in an adventure in Yuma Flats, New Mexico. A place where "The Hills Have Eyes", and the Doom Slayer is itching to rip them out! So, without further ado, let's begin! Remember: I own none of this!_

David "Napoleon" Napoli sat down tiredly on a protruding rock face. The sun was starting to set on the jagged rock hills, causing the shadows to lengthen across the dusty landscape. Napoleon glanced over to Amber, who was currently helping Missy settle into a better position. Missy was still injured, and Napoleon and Amber had supported her on their trip down the hill so far. Napoleon felt a sense of urgency as we watched the shadows lengthen even more. If they didn't hurry, it would be dark before they could make it back to the road. Since the truck had been burned, there was no other way for them to make it out of this desert. They would have to get to the road and hitchhike their way back to Yuma Flats. Unfortunately for them, the town was still at least 40 miles away, and he knew if he were a truck driver, there'd be little to no chance he would pick up 3 people in blood-covered national guard uniforms.

Sighing, Napoleon ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to rationalize the day's events. His team had been sent in to resupply the scientists that had been conducting research in the rocky hills in New Mexico, and when they had arrived, the camp had been completely deserted. They had later discovered that everyone in the group had been killed by the mutants that populated the hills, and in turn, they began killing everyone in his team too. Missy had been captured by them for breeding purposes, but Amber and himself had shown up and saved her, killing almost every single one of her captors in the process. And now they were attempting to get back down the hills before they stumbled around in the dark all night.

Napoleon shook his head in exasperation, even he had trouble believing his own story. Amber seemed to pick up on his distress, and the blonde patted Missy on the shoulder before walking over and sitting next to him.

"You doin ok?" she asked, looking at him intently.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright. Just having trouble believing that all of this is really happening." He said, looking at her briefly before looking back to the ground.

Amber's eyes drifted back to the ground for a moment too before she spoke.

"I guess none of us signed up for this."

Napoleon laughed lightly despite his lack of energy.

"Yeah, my recruiter neglected to mention this part to me."

Amber smiled back briefly before patting Napoleon on the shoulder as well. Standing back up, she walked back over to where Missy was propped up on the ground. Napoleon watched them for a second, then turned around to survey the area. If he craned his neck just a little bit, he thought he could see a slope that they would be able to get Missy down with little to no issue.

Napoleon turned around to tell the other two but stopped short as he saw that both women were no laying on the ground. They were not moving, almost like they were asleep. Napoleon frowned, his senses instantly on high alert.

"Guys?" he said, jumping to his feet. He heard slight rustling behind him, but before he could turn around, there was a hard crack against his skull. Napoleon saw a flash of white, and a bolt of pain shot behind his eyes before everything went black.

…

Napoleon awoke with a start, and he suddenly became acutely aware of a searing pain behind his eyelids. He immediately tried to grab his head in pain, but he couldn't move his arms. Napoleon opened his eyes, and immediately felt slightly nauseous as his head throbbed again. He felt a knot forming at the back of his head, and it didn't take a genius for him to figure out that was the cause of his pain. He groaned as he tried to remember how that knot got there. The last thing he remembered was seeing Missy and Amber lying on the ground…

Shit! Where were they?

Napoleon immediately snapped his head upright to attention. Unfortunately for him, the back of his head struck something hard, and he exhaled through his teeth as his head exploded in pain.

This time Napoleon slowly brought his head up as his vision began to clear. The first thing that he noticed was that it was dark, extremely dark, and he blinked to try and adjust his eyes. Slowly, more details came into focus.

From what he could see, he was indoors. The room he was in wasn't very big, so there wasn't much to go off of. If he squinted, he could slowly start to make out what appeared to be two beds. They appeared to be against the wall opposite to him, and as Napoleon squinted harder, he could see that the beds weren't empty. There appeared to be a figure in each one, but Napoleon couldn't see anything beyond that until he caught a flash of familiar blonde hair…

Napoleon immediately tried to stand up, but he was cut short as something again kept him from doing so. He examined himself, and he realized that both of his arms were tied behind his back, and that he himself was tied to a large wooden post. Napoleon struggled to get free from his bonds, but they were secured tight.

"Don't struggle too much, they might hear you."

Napoleon jumped at the sudden voice, and he looked to his immediate right to see that there was someone else in the room with him. Upon closer inspection, Napoleon saw that this person was tied to a post in a sitting position as well, his arms tight behind his back.

"Who…who are you?" Napoleon asked as the man came into view.

"My name is Doug. Doug Bukowski," the man said back. He had long hair, and glasses on his face.

"Where are we?" Napoleon asked, trying again to break free of his bonds.

"In one of the makeshift villages, the ones they used for testing," Doug replied. "This village is used by the Neptune clan."

"Clan? What are you talking about?" Napoleon asked, shaking his head in confusion.

"They used to be one united people, all of the ugly fucks," Doug said. "But when conflict came up, they split off into different parts of the hills. The testing villages, the mines, anywhere they can find shelter and people to prey on. There's usually only about six to ten in a clan, and from what I've heard, you guys took out almost an entire clan on your own."

Napoleon thought back to what had transpired previously.

"Wait a second, how do you know that?"

"They've got the surveillance equipment that your science team was using, they've been tracking you guys from the start. You guys wiped out the Hades clan, not bad. I heard that Hades himself was pretty big."

Napoleon shook his head, every answer Doug gave prompted at least two more questions.

"So, how…who…why are you here?"

"Two years ago, my in-laws decided to go to California for their silver anniversary. It could've been a nice trip, except they had the brilliant idea of taking a trailer instead of flying. We came up this way and got stuck, then they attacked. Killed my wife and her parents, I barely made it out with my baby and siblings. After we made it back home, the Army took us in for questioning. Asked us about how they lived and what they were, then they ordered the search and destroy missions to this area."

"So, you're the ones…" Napoleon said, almost to himself. He had heard rumors about the operations, but nothing about why it had happened. Doug nodded.

"I told them that mutants would hide. They know these hills better than anyone, and there would be no way that the Army could exterminate all of them, but they didn't listen. And so of course it didn't work. The only way to kill them all for good is to blow the entrance to the mines, then glass anything that moves in this area."

Napoleon listened patiently.

"Then I heard that they were sending a team out here to set up surveillance equipment, but they were only sending a one-man escort out with them. I came up here to warn them, to convince them to stay away, but I was too late. They killed them all and brought me here shortly afterward."

"But why you? Why didn't they kill you like they did the others?"

"They recognized me. I killed almost everyone in the Jupiter clan, and now they want revenge. I'm guessing they've got big plans for you guys too."

Napoleon wanted to say something, but at that moment, Missy and Amber stirred on the beds. They both looked around groggily for a second, then they both saw that they were restrained. Missy immediately lost her composure.

"No! NO! No, please!" she cried out, sobs escaping her throat.

"Missy!" Napoleon called. "Calm down!" But Missy either did not hear him or didn't care. She began thrashing against the bed, trying everything she could to escape.

"Not again! Not again!"

Napoleon wanted comfort her, to say something, but he understood her fear. She had been strapped to a different bed not long before this, and Napoleon knew that nothing good had happened because of it. He glanced sidelong at Doug and realized that Doug knew more than anyone what that was like. Doug had fought back by himself two years ago, and now the nightmare was real again.

Missy immediately quieted as the door burst open, and through it stepped a massive mutant. At least as big as the last one Napoleon killed, if not bigger. His face was wrinkled and contorted horribly, like something from a nightmare. A malicious sneer appeared on his features as he looked from the women on the bed to the men tied to the posts. His breathing was heavy, and he grunted constantly, making him seem even more of a monster than he was.

"You…kill…Hades" the behemoth said, pointing at Napoleon. His voice was slow but loud. Napoleon said nothing and stared back at him. This seemed to anger the massive mutant, and he clenched his fists before increasing his voice to a yell.

"You…kill…my brother!" he yelled out. He then looked at the women viciously. Then back at Napoleon, pointing at the women on the beds.

"Take from me…I take from you!"

Napoleon yelled out in rage as the massive mutant started towards the beds, but another smaller mutant suddenly appeared in the doorway. Its horribly contorted face was even more contorted with fear.

"Papa! Monster…outside!"

The larger mutant turned around and yelled in anger and dismissal at the new arrival. The smaller one flinched at his leader's yelling but stayed where he was in the door way.

"No monster!" The behemoth roared. "Go away!"

"It real! It…it metal!"

The smaller mutant's head suddenly exploded with a loud bang. Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere, including the larger mutant, who bellowed in surprise and stumbled backward. Heavy footsteps sounded from the end of the hallway, getting louder and louder until a figure stepped into the doorway. Napoleon didn't know what to think as he took in its strange appearance. The smaller mutant had been right. The figure was covered in a suit of metal armor, and Napoleon felt a vibe of war and combat coming off of the figure in waves. That also could have been due to the shotgun that rested in the figure's hands.

Napoleon watched as the figure looked from him and Doug tied to the posts, to Missy and Amber tied to the beds, and finally to the mutant standing in the center of the room.

The mutant then yelled out and charged forward towards the figure.

"Look out!" Napoleon yelled, but he soon discovered that his words were unnecessary as the armored figure reached out and kicked the charging mutant directly on his kneecap.

The mutant cried out in pain as his knee shattered with a sickening crunch. He crumpled to the floor. His knee was bending in the wrong direction, and he bellowed in agony as he writhed on the floor. The figure then stepped over the blubbering cripple and into the room. Napoleon remained silent as the figure walked over to wear Doug sat, still tied to the post. In one motion, the figure reached out, grabbed a handful of the ropes that restrained Doug, and pulled. Napoleon's eyes widened as the ropes snapped under the strain the figure was applying. A feat of strength like that should have been impossible, and Napoleon concluded that he must have been hallucinating from exhaustion.

Once Doug was free, the figure walked back over to the crying mutant on the floor and dragged him out into the hallway by his shattered knee, causing the mutant to cry out with renewed vigor. Napoleon heard the cries grow faint as the distance increased.

Doug wasted no time standing up and shaking off his now useless restraints. He ran over to Amber and Missy first, producing a knife from his pocket and cutting their bindings. Once they had been freed, Doug ran over to Napoleon and cut his ropes as well.

"Who was that?" Napoleon asked as Doug slashed through his bindings.

"That was Papa Neptune. Papa Hades was his brother, but I'm sure you guessed that already."

"No! Who was the guy with the gun?" Napoleon yelled impatiently.

Doug put the knife in his pocket and helped Napoleon up. He stood back as Missy and Amber walked over, rubbing their wrists where the ropes had dug in.

"I don't know," Doug said. "I thought he was with you."

"I sure as hell hope he is," Missy said.

"Whoever he's with, it's definitely not them," Amber said. "It almost feels like he hates them."

"Either way, we need to get out of here," Napoleon said.

Doug pulled the knife back out of his pocket. "Ok, let's go."

The three of them followed Doug as he led the way out of the dark room and into the hallway. The first thing Napoleon noticed was that they were indeed inside a house. At least, that was what it seemed to be. Pictures of people were on the walls, and the walls themselves had decorative wallpaper. As they continued down the hallway, Napoleon heard the wailing of the crippled mutant. It was getting louder. Doug turned right, and the four of them were suddenly in what appeared to be a large living room with windows to the outside. Which was were the wailing was coming from.

Napoleon cautiously walked over to a window and peaked outside. It was dark out, but the moon was full, so Napoleon could see fairly clearly. He realized that Doug had been correct, they were in a village. Other houses sat nearby, each one almost a carbon copy of the next, and Napoleon assumed that the one they were in was no different. Through the middle of the village ran a dirt road that twisted and disappeared out of sight. But Napoleon paid little attention to that as he saw the figure and the mutant a little way down the road.

The figure had dragged the hollering creature into what appeared to be the direct center of town. As Napoleon watched, the figure reached down and twisted the mutant's broken knee, causing it to scream even louder. Napoleon cringed at the noise, and he felt the others join him at the window.

"What is he doing?" Amber asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Giving that fucker what he deserves," Missy spat.

"No," Doug said. He was silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating something. Then he spoke again. "He's luring the others out."

Napoleon, Missy, and Amber all turned to look at Doug, and he turned his head to look back at them.

"I said before that they know these hills better than anyone, and that means that they can run and escape. But they won't do that until their leader is dead. And it's obvious that he is still alive, so they are obliged to fight to protect him. Some of them are cowards though, they will stay and hide until the leader is dead, but they won't fight, even though they are obligated to. They'll make a break for it after Papa Neptune is dead."

"And…and he knows that too?" Napoleon asked.

"Honestly, I doubt it," Doug said, looking back to the scene outside. "But he knows that he's caught the head honcho, so his best chance of getting them to come out is to keep doing what he's doing."

As Doug said it, Napoleon suddenly saw movement in one of the houses nearby. Then his eyes caught movement in another house, then another, then another…

"Uh…Doug? How many did you say were usually in a tribe?"

Doug gulped. His eyes had been on the houses too, and Napoleon was sure that they both were thinking the same thing.

"I may be mista…"

The dark street was suddenly alight with gunfire. The deafening sound of multiple rifles firing at once pounded on Napoleon's eardrums, and he was momentarily blinded by the muzzle flashes that suddenly erupted from every house at once.

"Get down!" Doug cried out over the noise, and Napoleon felt Amber throw him to the ground unceremoniously before falling down next to him.

The gunfire continued, though thankfully the mutants didn't seem to be aiming for the house, as no holes appeared in the walls or ceiling. Napoleon stupidly lifted his head and stole a glance out the window. There were still the sounds of gun fire, but the only muzzle flash was coming from the house across the street, and it appeared to be firing inward, not towards the house they were currently in. Looking back to the middle of the street, Napoleon saw Papa Neptune lying motionless and dead on the ground. His body had been peppered with bullets, but the figure was nowhere to be found. Napoleon turned to look at Doug.

"Doug! We need to get out of the line of fire! Does this place have a back door?"

"Most do, let's go!"

The four of them started crawling towards the back of the house. Suddenly, the front door slammed open, and the four of them turned to see a large mutant lumber into the house, a rifle resting in his hands. Napoleon froze in fear as the mutant turned his head slowly towards the three of them. It took him a moment, but once he registered fully what he was seeing, the mutant roared and pointed the rifle towards them, but Doug was already there.

Napoleon felt bafflement as he realized that Doug had already been moving when the front door opened. The knife had reappeared in his hand, and Doug buried it to the hilt into the mutant's neck. The mutant attempted to cry out in surprise and pain, but all that came out was a strained gurgle. Doug then pulled the knife out and stabbed again and again. The mutant stumbled for a bit, then fell hard to the floor and went still.

"Holy shit!" Missy yelled. Doug was now covered in the mutant's blood, and he now looked a lot more feral than he had been just a few moments ago.

Without hesitation, Doug slid the knife over to Napoleon before picking the rifle up from off the floor.

"Let's go," Doug said again, slightly out of breath.

Napoleon froze for a moment more, thinking about the sudden change that had come over Doug just now. How badly must he have been hurt by these monsters to suddenly switch gears like that. Doug motioned for them to follow him, and Napoleon and the girls didn't argue as they followed Doug to the rear of the house. Napoleon held the knife ready in his hand, determined not to be caught off guard again. The sounds of gunfire still saturated the air around them, but there seemed to be less rifles making noise than before.

"Is he…winning?" Amber asked.

"I don't know much about that guy," Missy said from behind. "But I get the feeling that he doesn't lose very often."

Napoleon silently nodded in agreement, more to himself than the others. Doug quickly led them through the back door and out into the night. Doug turned right outside the door, and the group followed single file, keeping in the shadow of the house.

When they reached the corner, Doug silently motioned to them, indicating that they were going to make a break for the next house over. They all silently nodded back, so Doug turned and ran across the open ground, the others following behind. They had made it about halfway across the gap when a shot rang out. Doug cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

"No!" Napoleon yelled, immediately grabbing Doug and dragging him the rest of the way.

"Quick! Inside!" he yelled as he struggled to bring Doug through the back door of the next house. Amber and Missy helped him through then shut and locked the door as Napoleon dragged Doug to a corner and propped him up.

Doug was still conscious, but his teeth were grit in pain and his eyes were squeezed shut.

"The leg! In…In the leg!" Doug spat, grunting.

Napoleon checked his legs and found the wound. The bullet had entered through his right calf, and blood was now oozing from the area. Napoleon quickly applied pressure to the area and turned around and yelled at Amber.

"Get a towel! We gotta wrap this up!"

Amber nodded frantically and ran into the next room, disappearing from sight. Missy quickly followed. Limping slightly on her bad leg.

"Just hold on," Napoleon reassured Doug. "We will get you patched up."

"I really hate those ugly bastards…" Doug said back, causing Napoleon to chuckle a bit.

Amber and Missy returned with a few towels and a bottle of what looked like peroxide. Napoleon nodded his thanks, then quickly ripped open Doug's pant leg and unscrewed the cap from the peroxide.

"This is gonna hurt," he said to Doug.

"What?" Doug said back, but Napoleon was already pouring the liquid into his wound. Doug growled through his teeth but did his best to keep the noise to a minimum.

Napoleon then wiped off the excess blood and peroxide from the area and began applying a basic tourniquet with a towel, getting Amber to help him make it tight. When he was finished, he sat back and took a deep breath.

"That will hold it for now. But we need to get you to a hospital once we are clear."

Suddenly, Napoleon realized that it had grown very quiet. Eerily so, in fact. No gunfire, no screaming, no wind even. He could hear his heartbeat reverberate through his body. Slowly, he turned his head to look at Amber and Missy, and both of them stared back, unsure of what was happening.

Then the wall next to them exploded as a huge mutant went soaring through it. Amber screamed as the mutant crashed to the ground, grunting in pain. Through the new hole stepped the figure, momentarily glancing at the four of them before turning back to the mutant writhing on the floor.

Out of nowhere, another mutant appeared through the hole with a metal baseball bat. With a yell, the mutant swung the bat at the figure. Despite the mutant's obvious brute strength, the bat clanged harmlessly of the side of the figure's helmet, and Napoleon saw desperation appear on the mutant's face as seemingly no damage was done. The figure then turned around and grabbed the mutant by the throat with one hand. The mutant gasped for air as the metal enigma hoisted him high in the air. The mutant then began kicking and thrashing, dropping the baseball bat in an attempt to relinquish the figure's grip on its throat. In one brutal movement, the figure slammed the mutant back down to the ground. The mutant exhaled and moved no more.

The figure then turned its attention to the other mutant, who was now propped up on one knee in its attempt to stand. The figure took a running start towards the mutant, then brought its knee hard into the mutant's skull. The momentum of the strike overwhelmed the structural integrity of the mutant's head, and the skull caved and exploded as the figure's knee went through it. Fresh blood splattered on the walls and ceiling as the mutant's now headless corpse toppled to the floor.

The figure stared at the body for a moment before lifting its head up and listening for a moment. Napoleon listened as well, but there was no noise. The night had fallen silent again. The figure seemed content and turned to look at the four of them, its gaze traveling across each of them in turn. No one said anything.

The figure studied them for a few moments more, then lifted its arm and gave them a thumbs up with its right hand. A bright blue flash suddenly flooded Napoleon's vision, and a loud bang was heard. The light vanished suddenly, and Napoleon blinked away the afterimage as his eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden changes in brightness.

After his vision cleared, Napoleon looked to see that the figure was gone. He looked questioningly to the others, but they seemed just as baffled as he was. The group remained silent for a few more moments, then Napoleon slowly stood up and hoisted Doug up under his shoulder. Nodding to Amber, who was supporting Missy, the four of them dusted themselves off and slowly walked out of the front door and into the night.

A pair of eyes watched from the distance…


	6. Harry Potter

Chapter 6

 _A/N: Haha! I live! And this time, the Doom Slayer has arrived in the wizarding world of "Harry Potter." Time to make some magic happen! To be honest, I had been toying with using this universe due to the massive difference in genre and style that the two franchises appeal to, but I figured there are plenty of beasts and evil creatures for the Doom Slayer to have fun with. I might consider doing more stories in the "Harry Potter" universe if it clicks well with the audience, but we will see. Either way, be sure to let me know what you thought! Also, I own none of this!_

Harry paused to shake mud from his boot before continuing down the path. On his left, Ron and Hermione did the same. Harry heard Ron mutter under his breath about his boots being brand new. Hermione said nothing, she seemed more focused on making sure her camera was in working order.

"Remind me again what we are doing out in the middle of nowhere?" Ron asked, looking up from his boots.

"I told you, Ronald," Hermione answered with a roll of her eyes. "The Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures received an anonymous tip that someone was illegally breeding dragons out here. As a high-ranking member of the Department, such an important case has been passed on to me. If someone has really been breeding dragons illegally, who knows how many there could be out here? We've seen the damage just one can do, Harry more than anyone!"

"Right, dear," Ron said. "But then why are we out here by ourselves instead of with half the Ministry at our backs?"

"Because Ron…" Harry spoke. "This is purely a scouting mission. We don't know if anything is actually out here. If we come charging out here with a full batch of Aurors, and it turns out to be nothing, then we wasted all our resources on nothing, haven't we?"

"Possibly numerous dangerous dragons with no backup…got it," Ron said, grumpily kicking at a pebble in his path.

Harry understood Ron's unhappiness. The large forest they were walking through was certainly beautiful to look at, but the rain the night before had turned the ground into a thoroughly muddy mess. The overcast sky also didn't help the dour mood, giving everything a slightly grayish tint in color. The three of them had forgone apparating to their location due to the attention it would draw, and Harry tried not to miss the convenient mode of transportation as he trudged on.

"There!" Ron said excitedly, pointing through the thick trees.

The foliage was so dense that Harry could hardly see anything, but when he looked further, he could see the outline of a cabin appear a little way off the path. The cabin wasn't very large, certainly not something a dragon could fit in, but it was certainly worth a look.

The three of them turned off the path and started toward the cabin. The going was slow due to constant waist-high plants impeding their path. Ron muttered his disdain again, but Hermione shushed him, as they didn't want to alert to anyone that they were coming.

Reaching the door of the cabin, the trio shared a look before Harry reached out and knocked sharply against the wooden door. Silence followed. None of them heard any rustling from within, no voices, or no locks unlocking.

Harry knocked again, and still no answer came.

"Perhaps they're asleep?" Hermione ventured quietly.

"HELLO IN THERE!" Ron shouted, causing Hermione to flinch and smack Ron in the arm.

"Ouch…" Ron said, rubbing his now tender arm.

"What did I say, Ron?!" Hermione hissed at him through gritted teeth.

"Just trying to help us along is all," Ron said, deflated.

Deciding that keeping quiet was no longer an option, Harry reached out and tried the door handle.

Locked.

Producing his wand from within his robes, Harry pointed at the lock.

" _Alohomora_ ," Harry said clearly. There was a metallic clicking from inside the lock for a moment, then the handle turned, and the door opened slowly.

Harry spared a glance at the others before pushing through the door and into the cabin. Ron and Hermione followed behind him. Inside, the cabin appeared to be nothing extraordinary. There was a living room with a few chairs and a coffee table, a kitchen with everything one might expect in it, and what appeared to be a small dining room. Beyond that was a door leading out the back of the cabin, and to the side was another door that Harry supposed led to a bedroom of sorts.

Walking cautiously, wand at the ready, Harry made his way over to the bedroom door. Slowly, Harry turned the knob and pushed the door inward, revealing the room beyond. Inside, Harry's suspicious were confirmed true.

In addition to a bed in the corner of the small bedroom, there were tables and shelves stacked with parchment with hasty scribbled-notes filling the pages. More parchment hung from the walls, drawings and schematics of dragons pictured on nearly all of them. Glancing around the room, Harry saw that there was enough evidence to put someone away for a very long time. Harry turned back to Ron and Hermione, who had followed him through the door.

"I think we can call that backup now."

A loud rumbling suddenly came from outside the house, and the three of them turned to the source of the noise. It had come from the back of the property, and Harry did not want to entertain any vile possibilities that the noise could have come from.

"Right then!" Ron said whipping out his wand with haste. "Let's get that batch of Aurors!"

Harry and Hermione watched as Ron then…stayed where he was. There was no crack, no sudden disappearance, no whip of wind as the apparition occurred. Ron stayed right where he was. After a few moments, Ron seemed to realize that he was still in the cabin, and a confused and slightly panicked look appeared on his face.

"You feeling ill, Ron?" Harry asked.

Ron gave his wand a frantic shake, then really began to panic.

"It's not working! I can't apparate!"

Harry and Hermione both pulled out their wands and attempted to apparate as well to no avail. There must have been some protective charms placed on the cabin to prevent anyone from apparating in or out.

The rumbling noise came again. Harry heard the walls of the cabin slightly shake in response. Even the cabin itself seemed nervous as to what was out there.

Slowly, Harry walked out of the bedroom and to the back door of the cabin.

"Are you mad!?" Ron whispered as Harry placed his hand on the door handle. Harry spared him a look, then cautiously opened the door and stepped outside.

The scene out the back door of the cabin proved to be not much different than the front. The back yard of the cabin was a small clearing barely larger than the cabin itself. Around the small clearing, the forest foliage resumed its thick and robust presence.

Harry scanned the area as Ron and Hermione emerged from the cabin behind him. Harry couldn't see anything past the trees and plants at the edge of the clearing. All was still.

Then the trees at the far end of the clearing exploded, and out through the hole emerged the largest dragon Harry had ever seen. It was even larger than the dragon that had been guarding the Lestrange vault in Gringotts, which was a difficult feat to math. The dragon itself appeared to be mostly black in color, except for on its legs and its face, which melted into a pale white color. Harry caught a sense of familiarity before Hermione roughly shoved him out of the way as the dragon roared and breathed fire at the trio.

Harry stumbled for a moment, but then picked up the pace as the heat of the flames licked at his robes. The cabin had been right in the way, and the old wood had easily caught, rendering the structure in flames in a matter of seconds. The three of them quickly jumped behind the nearest tree as the dragon roared again. It's roar sounded like a deep yowling that reverberated through Harry's entire being.

The three of them cringed at the noise from behind the tree, and Hermione turned to face them.

"It's worse than I thought!" she shouted over the roaring flames of the cabin. "That is the first successful hybrid between a Ukrainian Ironbelly and a Hungarian Horntail!"

"Horntail!?" Ron said back. "You mean the most temperamental of dragons?!"

"And the Ukrainian Ironbelly! The largest species of dragon!" Hermione yelled back.

"Just our bloody luck! Why do you keep doing this to us, Harry!?" Ron grabbed Harry by the shoulders and shook him violently.

Ron's outburst was cut short as the dragon ripped the tree they were hiding behind straight out from the ground. The trio stumbled backward as the dragon threw the tree to the side with its powerful jaws. It then growled and lunged for them.

Harry prepared to roll to the side, but Hermione already had her wand at the ready.

"Reducto!"

A bright flash erupted from the tip of Hermione's wand and exploded against the hybrid dragon's snout. The creature roared in pain and reeled backward. Giving Harry just enough time to roll over and dash to the dragon's rear. As long as Harry stayed behind the creature, he was in its blind spot. Ron and Hermione dashed after him.

The dragon recovered from Hermione's well-placed spell and looked around for its prey. Harry stood perfectly still behind the creature as it looked from left to right. While dragons had always been some of the most dangerous creatures in the world, a recent discovery had unearthed that the safest spot from a dragon was behind it. Because despite having a rather high amount of intelligence, for some reason, dragons often refused to look behind themselves. It had no logical or magical explanation, but that did not stop Harry from being eternally grateful for it at this moment.

The gargantuan dragon then sniffed the air, then turned its head and looked directly at the three of them.

Harry stood frozen in fear and shock as their best line of defense had just been shattered against the beast before them. So much for that plan. The dragon growled yet again, but Harry could not will himself to move as the beast turned around and prepared to strike.

Suddenly, a violent burst of blue light exploded in front of the dragon, and both human and beast were temporarily blinded by the light as a loud bang resounded through the clearing.

Harry blinked rapidly and looked to the source as the light faded suddenly. Directly between the trio and the dragon now stood a figure. The figure was wearing a dark green armor with a helm to match, and at first sight, Harry thought the figure looked like one of the suits of armor that stood in the hallways of Hogwarts. Upon closer inspection, Harry saw that the suit was indeed a different style, and though it did bear resemblance to the suits that Harry was accustomed to, this one seemed different. It seemed to be made of a combination of metal and other materials, and Harry remembered that he had indeed seen something like this in some children's action comics from the muggle world. Muggles themselves had always been fascinated with men from space and heroes wearing futuristic armor to save them. This suit matched that description perfectly.

The suit was facing the three of them, and Harry saw it take in the sight of the three of them.

Harry stared dumbfounded at the suit in return, but his attention was quickly diverted to the massive dragon that had recovered behind it. The dragon saw the suit standing in front of it as well, and Harry barely had time to yell out a warning before the dragon grabbed the suit in its jaws and swallowed it whole.

Hermione screamed from behind him, and the dragon turned to them again, seemingly not satisfied from its snack from earlier.

Harry scrambled backward as the dragon lumbered towards them, but he abruptly stopped as the dragon stumbled and began making hacking noises deep in its throat. A muffled boom came from inside the dragon, and the beast began making many grotesque noises with its mouth as it struggled to breathe.

"Is it…is it choking?" Ron asked in disbelief.

His question was answered as another boom sounded from within the dragon's throat, and this time, the dragon retched hard and spat out the suit of armor it had swallowed a few seconds ago.

The suit stood up, its armor now slick with the dragon's blood and digestive juices.

"Bloody hell!" Ron said behind harry, who was also in disbelief at what he was seeing.

Harry noticed that the suit had no sword or shield, but it was now carrying what appeared to be an item made of wood with two metal cylinders protruding out the end. With a start, Harry realized that it was a shotgun. It had been at least a decade since he had seen one. Uncle Vernon had attempted to threaten Hagrid with it, but Hagrid had easily broken the weapon. But in the suit's hands, the weapon appeared quite a bit more formidable.

As if to emphasize the point, the dragon roared in pain and blood dripped from its mouth. Its own blood. It growled at the suit, baring its teeth and preparing to attack again. In response, the suit opened the shotgun and placed two more cartridges into the chamber. Then in one smooth motion, the suit brought the weapon up and fired the weapon at the dragon. This time, the weapon only seemed to agitate the dragon even more, as the pellets from the blast bounced harmlessly off of the dragon's metallic scales.

The dragon then breathed fire at the suit, which jumped into a roll just in time to avoid the searing hot flames. As the suit stood up again, Harry was startled to see that it was now holding what Harry could only guess was another firearm. It was larger than the shotgun, and it glowed and whirred mysteriously.

Harry was suddenly grabbed by his shoulder. He looked and saw Ron pulling him to the tree line.

"Let's go! While its distracted!"

Harry glanced back to the suit just in time to see it fire its new weapon. A blue beam shot forth from it and struck the dragon on the side of its face. The dragon's head snapped to the side from the force, and when Harry looked closely, he could see that the dragon now had a large metal rod stuck between its scales.

"C'mon Harry!" Hermione yelled.

Harry turned and ran with the others as he heard the suit's weapon go off again. Harry heard the dragon scream in agony as they reached the nearest trees.

"Wait!" Harry yelled, stopping in his tracks.

"Wait?! For that monster to eat us?!" Ron yelled whirling around to Harry.

"We have to help! We can't let that dragon escape!"

"I'd say that suit is doing just fine on its own!" Ron said back. As if on cue, the suit came crashing through the trees just to their left, breaking branches and trunks alike as it sailed into the ground. Ron shook his head in defeat.

"If we die here, I'm gonna kill you, Harry!" Ron said before drawing his wand.

The three of them turned and ran over to where the suit was picking itself up from the ground. A plan was already forming in Harry's mind, but it wouldn't work if the suit was unaware of it. Most animated objects couldn't communicate, but Harry had to try and convey his plan.

"Listen!" Harry said throwing his arms up. "Its skin is too difficult to penetrate on the outside. Let us try to stun it, then you can fire into its soft points!"

Harry was relieved when the suit nodded back to Harry before pulling out yet another weapon. This one was big as well, but Harry sensed it was fundamentally different from the weapon it had used just moments before. It then ran back to the clearing, Harry, Ron and Hermione following close behind.

The suit burst through the clearing and began firing its new weapon, which appeared to shoot fireworks, or what the deadly equivalent of fireworks were. Rockets. That's right. It fired rockets. And each time the rocket made contact with the dragon, it exploded violently, staggering the beast and charring its scales. This angered the dragon even more, and the beast turned away from Harry, Ron, and Hermione to swipe at the suit.

"Harry!" Hermione said. "We don't have nearly enough wand power to stun it, even for a moment!"

"I know, but we have to try something!" Harry said. The dragon swiped at the suit again, and the metal man jumped out of the way just in time. Harry's mind raced to come up with a solution.

"Ok! On three, use a binding spell on the legs!" Harry shouted over the exploding rockets and dragon's roars. The three of them raised their wands to the dragon's hind legs.

"1…2…3!"

" _Incarcerous_!" The three of them shouted in unison.

Ropes shot from each of their wands, and quickly found their mark around the dragon's hind legs before the beast could move again. The ropes wound themselves around the dragon's legs and began winding tighter and tighter, and the dragon bellowed before losing its balance and falling to the ground. Its head crashed into the dirt as it fell forward, and the suit wasted no time. The shotgun was in its hands again, and the suit jumped up on to the dragon's head, grabbing on of the massive horns that protruded from the dragon's head to steady itself as the dragon weakly tried to shake it off.

With its shotgun hand, the suit cocked its arm back, then jammed the business end of the shotgun straight into one of the dragon's massive eyes, puncturing through the eyeball and into the socket. The dragon bellowed in agony and shook its head wildly, blood spurting forth and dripping from the wound. The suit then fired the shotgun, end still crammed into the socket. The dragon abruptly stopped roaring and twitched once before falling completely still. Dead.

With a heave, the suit wrenched the shotgun from the dead beast's eye. Harry caught a good look at the hole and saw that in addition to the penetration into the socket, the blast from the shotgun had pierced into the skull and had likely liquified the beast's brain.

Hermione gagged for a moment and stepped to the side as she and Ron saw the damage that had been done. The suit itself was standing next to the dragon's dead head, seemingly examining the charred and mangled corpse.

The trio walked up to the suit.

"Blimey," Ron said as he eyed the shotgun in the suit's hands. "We could really use some of those at the ministry."

"Ron!" Hermione wheezed, still trying to control her stomach. "These weapons can kill people! They're dangerous! Plus, you don't even know how to use one!"

Ron didn't seem to even be listening to her.

"Bloody hell, Hermione! Does every muggle have one of these? Do you think they'd let me have one?"

"Ron!"

"Hey guys," Harry interrupted forcefully. "Save it."

He turned back to the suit. Up close, the metal armor was actually quite intimidating, and Harry felt an almost overwhelming determination emanating from the figure in front of them.

"Well, I don't know who you are, or really what you are, but…thank you. For helping us out I mean." Harry turned back to the cabin, which was still burning. "We wouldn't have been able to fight that dragon on our own, but I think we can take it from here."

The suit examined the three wizards before it, then to the dragon's carcass at its feet. It then turned back and gave a thumbs up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione before a blue light flashed and a loud bang rang out. Then it was gone.

"This is going to be a lot of paperwork isn't it?" Ron asked, his shoulders slumping as he looked from the dragon to the burning cabin.

"Don't worry, Ron," Harry said with a slight smirk. "We will say that you killed the dragon with a lucky shot to the eye. You'll be a hero. A dragon-slayer."

Ron seemed to perk up as Harry spoke. His smile growing more and more.

Hermione frowned at Harry and frowned before shaking her head and turning to check her camera.

Harry tried to fight back a laugh as he saw that the machine was completely charred and destroyed on the ground nearby.


	7. Jennifer's Body

Chapter 7

 _A/N: Booyah! Guess who's back? It's me, coming to you with a fresh new chapter in the Doom Slayer's story of carnage. This time, the Slayer finds himself in "Jennifer's Body", and he is gonna have to fight his way out. Don't forget to leave a comment depicting your love/hatred for the story! And once again, I own none of this!_

Anita "Needy" Lesnicki figured it would have been a nice night for a walk if she still gave a shit about things like that, but times change. And for Needy, they had changed quite a bit. She pulled her hood back off her head as she walked through the thrilling streets of Madison, Minnesota: The "lutefisk capital of the USA". Needy scrunched her nose at the thought. Lutefisk was disgusting, but up until a few weeks ago, she wouldn't have told anyone that. Back then, she wouldn't've wanted to be a downer that only talked about shit she didn't like. Now she could care less. She heard sirens in the distance, and she assumed that the police had been called only moments after she had left the hotel where the new "heart throb" band, Low Shoulder had been staying after their sold-out concert was a big success.

The bandmates had been probably been looking forward to a night of drugs, alcohol and women, but Needy had other plans for them. Now, Low Shoulder was no more. In fact, their shoulders were probably everywhere in that hotel room. Some high, some low, some over here, some over there, yadda yadda yadda...

Needy allowed herself to smirk just a little at the thought. Those chodes had ruined her life, and unluckily for them, Needy had been more than enthusiastic to return the favor.

Needy suddenly came to a halt as the store she was passing caught her eye. Turning her head, Needy looked through the glass to see rows of satanic t-shirts and black leather lining the shelves beyond.

To Needy, this seemed like the kind of store that Colin Gray and his makeup-happy friends would've enjoyed. That is, if he was still alive…

Needy felt a slight ache in her chest as she thought of Colin.

'Poor bastard, he didn't deserve to go out like that,' Needy thought.

Thinking of Colin led to Needy thinking about everyone else that she had lost over the past few months: Jonas Kozelle, Ahmet from India, and…

…and Chip.

Needy felt her eyes water as she thought of her late boyfriend. How her succubus-bitch of a friend had eaten him before her very eyes. How he had whispered his last words to her in such a pained voice.

Needy sniffed and wiped her eyes. She looked back up through the store window and focused in on what had caught her attention in the first place. In the back of the store, there was a particular article of clothing that Needy found very familiar.

It was an Evil Dead t-shirt.

Not just any Evil Dead t-shirt either. It was the same kind of shirt that Needy had once owned. The same shirt that Jennifer had worn the night she had…opened up to Needy.

That had always been Needy's favorite shirt, and not just because she had always been a fan of Bruce Campbell. That was her favorite shirt because Chip had gotten it for her for her 16th birthday, and that had been the first night that he had told her his feelings for her. He had been so cute and so shy that Needy couldn't help but fall for him. That shirt held a lot of memories, some very happy, others not so much. Either way, Needy knew she wanted it.

Needy stepped through the door and into the shop. A bell rang softly above her head as she entered the darkened room.

Dildos and other 18+ items sat on the shelves as she walked to the clothing section. Behind the counter sat a 20-something looking girl with dark purple hair and several piercings.

"Let me know if you need any help," the girl said half-heartedly. Needy paid her no attention as she strode toward the object of her desires.

Standing in front of the shirt, Needy felt her heart ache again as the familiar feelings arose again. This time, she composed herself and found one that was her size. Needy finally found one and looked at the design of a girl reaching for help as a disfigured hand choked her by the throat. Taking the shirt in her hands, Needy walked back up to the front of the store. The girl at the counter watched her and rattled off the price from memory as Needy set the shirt on the counter.

The shirt was definitely overpriced, but Needy wasn't worried about that. She had over 5,000 dollars in her pocket, so the price wasn't all that steep given the circumstances. Needy silently thanked Low Shoulder for their most generous donation to her private fund. She'd have to remember to have a drink in their name later.

As Needy peeled a crisp hundred out of her wad, a bright flash of light stabbed the darkness of the shop from the streets. A loud bang rang out at the same time, and Needy's head snapped to the source of the commotion.

Out in the middle of the street, the light faded, and in its place stood a bulky shadow of a figure. The girl at the counter squinted to try and make out the details, but Needy had no trouble seeing the silhouette's subtler features. Being bitten by a demon certainly had its perks. However, despite Needy's super-human vision, she had not been blessed with superhuman cognition. So even though she saw the figure very clearly, she had no idea what the fuck to make of it. The figure outside was humanoid, but it was completely encased on some sort of Stark-trek, space-battle suit. The armor was thick and sturdy looking, and the figure wore a helmet that Needy found even more intimidating.

The figure then turned its head and stared at Needy through the window, and Needy suddenly felt very nervous that something bad was about to happen. Her gut feeling was proven correct as the figure ran forward and crashed through the store window without warning.

"What the fu-!"

Needy's last syllable caught in her throat as the figure grabbed her by the neck with one arm. Needy gasped for breath, surprised by the figure's strength. If she had been a normal girl, this might have been a problem. But unfortunately for Tin Toy here, Needy was not a normal girl, and not only that, but she was now extremely pissed off.

With a grunt, Needy picked up both her feet and picked the figure square in the chest. The figure let go of her neck, but Needy felt a sense of dread as she felt just how solid the figure was.

She had kicked with the full force of her newfound demon powers, but instead of sending the figure flying back out of the store window, the figure only staggered back a half-step. Whatever this thing was, it was strong. And if Needy didn't put an end to this, fast, she was toast.

With that, Needy screamed in rage and charged the figure, determined to rip its head off.

Her plans were literally shot down as the figure produced a shotgun seemingly from its ass and fired a round of buck shot directly into her stomach, causing Needy to stop in her tracks and inhale sharply. Her mind took a moment to process it, but Needy finally realized that this asshole had just pumped a massive load into her stomach. She would have appreciated the innuendo if it weren't for the literal gaping hole in her stomach right now, so she retched instead.

Needy stumbled a bit before the figure cocked the shotgun and fired again. This time, Needy was nearly torn in half by the blast, and she croaked weakly before falling to her knees. Her blood was now all over the shop; it seemed to be everywhere except in her body at the moment, which was where she desperately needed it to be.

Her wish went ungranted, and Needy weakly looked up through half-lidded eyes as the figure stepped toward her, pumping the shotgun yet again.

Needy tried to move as the figure rested the end of the shotgun between her eyes, but her body refused to obey her. Realizing the futility of the situation, Needy tried to formulate a prayer in her head, but her mind was fuzzy from the lack of blood, and she was having no luck.

The figure stared down at her, its face unreadable behind the visor, and its shotgun pointed point-blank between Needy's eyes. The figure paused for a moment, then it moved its head to look past Needy to something directly behind her. Had she not been in so much pain at the moment, Needy would've felt confused.

She finally did when the figure unexpectedly put the shotgun away, still looking at something behind Needy that she couldn't see. The figure then stepped around Needy, seemingly forgetting all about her.

Needy tried to sigh in relief, but her lungs were both in shreds, so she let her head slowly droop and watch as her body slowly began to rebuild itself. Slowly but surely, the destroyed tissue in her chest and abdomen began to knit back together, almost like a video in reverse.

Out of all the powers that Needy had received, this by far was her favorite, and Needy was finally able to let out a sigh of relief as her lungs reformed again.

When she had finally recovered enough, Needy turned her head behind her to see what was so important that the figure had not blown her head off.

To her surprise and confusion, the metal suit of armor was looking at t-shirts, specifically, Evil Dead t-shirts. Along with the one that Needy had picked out, there had been a few other shirts along the walls that also alluded to the franchise. The armored figure seemed particularly interested in one depicting Ash Williams holding his signature chainsaw mid-sweep as though he was currently slashing through a Deadite. If Needy didn't know any better, she would have thought this robot-thingy knew Ash personally. Needy impulsively spoke out.

"You a fan of Ash too, huh? I never would've guessed by the violent attitude and the shotgun."

The figure looked over its shoulder back as her, and Needy internally slapped herself for drawing its attention again. She was still pissed off at it, to be sure, but she was quickly learning that against this thing, there was nothing she could do about it. The figure then spied the shirt that she still held in her hand and walked back over to her. Needy followed it with her eyes as it came back to her front.

Wordlessly, the figure extended an armored gauntlet down to Needy, and she hesitantly took it as the figure helped her to her feet. Her last wounds were closing up, and Needy suddenly remembered that her clothes did not regenerate with her.

The two shotgun blasts had decimated her shirt and sports bra, so she was now completely exposing her front to the futuristic soldier. She quickly covered herself before turning around

and putting on her new Evil Dead shirt. The figure, however, seemed indifferent to Needy's peep show, as it turned and thudded over to the literary section of the store.

Needy curiously watched it for a moment before turning back to see the goth girl still standing at the counter.

"Fuckin' metal as fuck," Needy heard the girl say quietly. Needy frowned at her before walking over to the counter and placing the hundred on top of it.

"Keep the change," Needy said, but the girl's eyes were entirely focused on the suit, which was still rifling through tomes on demonic lore and how-to sex books.

"I never thought I'd see him with my own eyes. I didn't even think he was real until two seconds ago," the girl said in a haze.

"What? You know this guy?" Needy asked gesturing with her thumb to the walking tank.

"He's the one thing all demons fear," the girl said, adamantly continuing to stare at the stranger. "He is the immortal terror that haunts only the doomed."

"Points for being cryptic, but absolute dick at being helpful," Needy said annoyedly. "Can you at least give me a name?"

The figure suddenly slammed a book down on the counter, cracking the wood and causing to the whole store to shake. Needy hadn't heard him walking back over, and she jumped reflexively and snapped her eyes to the book. The front cover depicted a figure standing with a shotgun on a pile of demonic bodies. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the figure on the cover and the figure standing next to her were one in the same. The title read in bold letters: **The Doom Slayer: Destructor of the Undead.**

Needy looked from the book to the so called "Doom Slayer".

"This is you then?"

The Doom Slayer nodded once.

"Great. I think I get the gist of it. You just kill evil shit, right?"

The Slayer nodded again. Needy was starting to see why he was a fan of the Evil Dead franchise.

"And you thought I was a demon, which I'm not, but thanks for double checking," Needy said sarcastically, rubbing her stomach. "I didn't have enough iron in my diet anyway."

The Slayer stared back at her.

Needy sighed. Despite her abrasiveness to the Doom Slayer on the outside, she really wished that he have been there about a month ago. He could have prevented a lot of deaths. Whatever, not much could be done about it now.

She opened her mouth to speak again when a feminine voice piped up from the street.

"Foooound you!"

Needy turned and saw a group of women gathered in front of the store. Women of the night, from the looks of it. Each woman was dressed in extremely provocative clothing, and there were about six of them all together in a gaggle. Needy smirked at the sight.

"Where's your pimp? Does he usually let you stay out this late?" Needy jeered at them.

"Ha. Ha. Ha," the woman in front said, rolling her eyes at Needy. "As though we haven't heard that one before."

Needy suspected that the woman who spoke was the leader, and she decided to focus in on her.

"You probably have, but you don't seem like the type to remember much except the last dick in your ass," Needy retorted without missing a beat.

"Hey, screw you, bitch! You don't talk to Cathy like that," another woman yelled at Needy, who guessed that she was trying to threaten her.

"Relax, Jade," the leader said, holding her hand out haltingly to the other woman.

"Yeah that's right, shut your mouth." Needy sneered. "While you're at it, might wanna shut your legs too. I think you'll find it easier to walk after that."

The one called Jade opened her mouth to say something back, but the lead woman cut her off.

"Anyway, let's get to the point. We know what you are girlie. In fact, we are the exact same thing! Amazing how lazy people are when checking virginity, isn't it?"

"With you guys? I'm honestly surprised anyone was dumb enough to make that mistake."

That last comment made the leader visibly angry, and Needy took a huge amount of satisfaction from that.

"Look! We came to offer you the deal of a lifetime," the leader snapped. "Join up with us! And you'll get all the boys you want. We've got our own limitless supply."

Needy chuckled. The leader titled her head in confusion at her laugh.

"Look, what was your name again? Fatty?"

" _Cathy_ ," the leader said through gritted teeth.

"Right. Anyway Cathy, I'm not a succubus. I'm 100% human, I just got lucky enough to get bitten by one, which is where my super bad-ass powers came from."

A few of the girls in the group shifted and murmured at the revelation. Cathy silenced them with a look then stepped forward. A malicious grin appeared on her face.

"Well then, if you aren't one of us, then you're against us. And that means it's feeding time, girls!"

The rest of the succubi cheered and clapped in enthusiasm, before fanning out in front of the store.

Cathy then turned her head, seemingly noticing the Doom Slayer standing behind Needy for the first time.

"You guys start with tall, green, and metal..."

Cathy's face suddenly tore open as the Doom Slayer blew a load into her skull. This time, Needy chuckled at the innuendo. That shit was funny. Her humor was short lived however, as Cathy's face started reknitting itself much faster than Needy had ever seen before. Within seconds, Cathy's face reappeared, a scowl painted across her features.

"Do damage girls."

The other five succubi then charged into the store, but before Needy could reach out to intercept one, Cathy tackled her with a running start. The supernatural force of Cathy's tackle lifted both of them into the air, and Needy gasped as her breath was forced out of her lungs. She grunted in pain as both Cathy and she went sailing out of the back wall of the store.

Needy pushed away from Cathy and landed hard in the dirt. She struggled to her feet and looked ahead to see Cathy already running towards her, arm cocked back. Needy ducked under Cathy's punch and stumbled backward behind her. There was sounds of gunfire coming from the store behind her, but Needy didn't dare look back.

This was bad, Not only was Cathy insanely fast, but strong too. A lot stronger than Needy was. She barely had time to duck out of the way as Cathy swung for her again. This time, Needy had not been quick enough, and Cathy's blow caught her shoulder, sending her flying. Needy twisted midair and landed on her feet but stumbled as pain shot through her shoulder. It had been dislocated, and Needy was sure that some of her bones had been fractured as well.

With an enraged yell, Needy ran forward and drop kicked the older succubus before she could react. Cathy grunted in surprise as she flew backward and crashed into a tree.

Needy ran over to the tree, stretching her shoulder as it repaired itself. Cathy was picking herself off the ground, and Needy took advantage of Cathy's bent-over position and brought her knee up into Cathy's jaw. Needy heard a satisfying crunch, and Cathy's head snapped backward as she smashed against the tree again.

Needy tried to follow up with a punch, but the succubus's hand suddenly shot up and grabbed her wrist before it made contact, causing Needy to hesitate in surprise for a moment, which was a big mistake. Cathy stood up with a smirk on her face and punched Needy square in the chest.

Needy retched as her body jolted under the force of the blow, but that was nothing compared to her arm. Cathy had kept her grip after the punch, effectively anchoring Needy in place while the force of the punch tried to carry her backward. Needy screamed as the strain ripped her joints to shreds.

Needy fell onto her back, still crying out at the searing pain in her arm. Cathy stood over her for a moment, then stomped on Needy's other arm, shattering the bones underneath the skin. Needy screamed again.

Both of her arms were now useless, the only way she could have stood up was by using her legs, but at that moment, Cathy straddled her and sat on her stomach. She was trapped.

"You know," Cathy said as she ran her fingers through Needy's hair. "You put up much more of a fight than any others. That's pretty sexy."

Needy tried to bite at Cathy's hand, and the succubus slapped her. Hard.

Needy's head snapped to the side and her vision blurred for a moment.

Cathy's face slowly came back into focus, and Needy realized she was still talking.

"The older you get, the stronger you become. You were certainly unique, but I could tell that you were still young. Therefore, you had no chance. You'd need something a little bit stronger to do that."

Needy suddenly became keenly aware of how silent it had become. A smile crept onto her face. Cathy frowned at the unexpected emotion.

"What's so funny?"

Then, Cathy's head exploded, spraying Needy with blood and brain matter. Needy squeezed her eyes shut and closed her mouth just in time. When she opened them, she gazed at Cathy's headless form for a moment before a familiar armored boot kicked it off of her.

Needy turned her head as the Doom Slayer came into her vision. He spared a quick glance at her, then turned toward Cathy's body, which was already done growing her head back. Cathy stumbled to her feet, locking eyes with the Doom Slayer, who stomped toward her.

"You fu—"

She was cut off as the Doom Slayer punched his hand into her chest. He kept it there for a moment, then wrenched backward with a wet ripping noise.

Cathy twitched and swayed on her feet for a moment, and Needy saw that the Doom Slayer was holding her heart in his right hand. Cathy then fell backward into the dirt and moved no more.

Needy struggled to sit up as the Doom Slayer walked over to her. Her arms were healing but still mangled, so she sat there awkwardly as he looked down at her.

"A little help?" she finally asked.

The Doom Slayer wordlessly grabbed her by her shirt and hauled her to her feet. She was about to get angry with him for stretching the new fabric, but she realized that it was moot compared to the rips and blood that now soaked her new attire.

"Thanks," she said instead, before turning and walking back into the store. The Doom Slayer followed.

Inside, it was a blood bath. The five other succubi had been twisted and mangled to shreds, and their blood and guts painted every corner of the store. As Needy surveyed the scene, the girl behind the counter slowly peaked up from her hiding spot. Needy supposed she should apologize for the dark and dismal appearance of the shop, but all things considered, the mood it was trying to convey really hadn't changed all that much.

"You got any more Evil Dead shirts?" Needy asked tiredly.

The girl held her hands up, indicating that she had no idea.

"Thanks," Needy said sarcastically before checking the wall where the shirts had been. Miraculously, one shirt had survived with minimal blood on it. 'Minimal' was a bit of a loose term there, but Needy really didn't care at that point. She figured it made it look more authentic anyway.

Needy's left arm had healed enough that she could use it, so she weakly reached out and took the shirt from the rack, before turning back to the Slayer.

"So, uh, thanks I guess. What now, though?"

The Doom Slayer looked at her for a moment, then lifted his hand and gave her a thumbs up. A bright flash of light lit up the room and a loud bang was heard. Needy blinked as the light faded. And when she looked again, the Slayer was gone.

"Uh, does he do that a lot?" Needy asked the girl at the counter.

The girl shrugged again.

Needy shook her head.

"Whatever," she said before walking back out through the hole in the wall.


	8. Jeepers Creepers

Chapter 8

 _A/N: Happy Halloween Everyone! I tried so hard to think of which story to add for the Halloween edition, and I decided to throw our anti-hero into "Jeepers Creepers"! It's not the most iconic of Halloween movies, but I thought this one was a good choice. I thought really hard about doing a traditional slasher film like Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street, but I couldn't help but feel like foes like Freddy and Jason would be horribly outmatched against the Doom Slayer. But since the demand is pretty high, I might try to fit it in. We will see. But for now, enjoy! Remember that I own nothing!_

Jack Taggart dozed lightly in his chair, his homemade harpoon lain comfortably across his lap. Jack had never been the type of man to feel a sense of security with a weapon in his hand, at least, not until about 23 years ago. But he was a different man now. Older, wiser, and more careful, but also scarred, broken, and angry. The cawing of a crow roused him from his light nap, and Jack looked back up at the 'Bat Out of Hell' that hung from the wall of his barn. The creature always creeped Jack out a bit each time he looked at it, and this time was no different. Taking another look, Jack noticed how withered it had become. It was nothing but skin and bones now, having eaten barely anything at all during its last rampage, and Jack knew that if and when this thing awoke, it would be extremely hungry. And if it was hungry, that meant people would die. Jack knew that more than anyone.

Jack shifted in his seat and gazed out the barn door at the setting sun. Looking at his watch, Jack saw that it was now roughly five minutes until sundown, on the first day of Spring. That meant that tonight was the night. Jack pictured in his mind what it must have looked like exactly 23 years ago when the monster had last awoken. It made his blood boil at the thought, and he gripped the harpoon even tighter. This bastard had stolen his son, the thought of that nearly tore Jack apart. He was going to make sure that this thing never killed again, no matter what the cost.

Jack turned again and watched the Sun dip behind the horizon. As he looked, he saw Jackie walk out of the house. Jackie was carrying a large Remington in his hands and a small sidearm in his belt. Jack smirked at his son's choice of weaponry. The Creeper would barely be bothered by anything the shotgun could dish out. And forget about the pistol.

This harpoon was the only thing that could bring this thing down, but Jack decided to let Jackie have his façade of safety. The last thing he needed was to get weak knees when the time came.

"Should be any minute now," Jack said, his voice echoing around the barn walls as Jackie approached.

Jackie nodded silently and went to stand on the other side of the harpoon from his father.

Jack slowly stood up from his chair. His joints growled at the movement, and Jack grumbled inwardly about the effects of growing old. He then made is way around the chair and took up position behind the harpoon gun, placing the second harpoon up against the barrel for a quick reload if he needed it. Jackie watched as his father fiddled a bit with the machine before resting his hands on the two handles located on the back of the gun. The hinge squeaked as Jack moved to aim the weapon directly at the monster. The gun was heavier than he last remembered, but he tried not to show that to his son. Jackie nodded to him once, and then held his shotgun at the ready. The sky began to grow dark outside of the barn.

They waited for five minutes, then ten, then thirty.

The sky was now completely dark.

Jackie turned his head to his father after forty-five minutes had ticked by.

"Did we get the day wro…?"

Jack abruptly shushed his son, not taking his eyes of the Creeper, which still had not moved in inch.

Jack listened in the silence for a moment before he heard the noise.

It was faint, but he knew for sure it was there.

Jackie turned his head and went silent as he heard the noise as well.

It was a wet and fleshy noise. It reminded Jack of the sound children made when they ate their food too loudly, but unfortunately, that was not the source of the sound they were hearing.

"Dad…" Jackie motioned to the Creeper hanging on the barn wall. Jack turned to look.

In a second, Jack knew where the sound was coming from.

The Creeper was rebuilding itself. All of the limbs that Jack had been previously severed and reattached with wire were reknitting at the flesh. Jack watched as the parts became whole again, and the connecting wire fell to the ground as the newly healed limbs expelled it from the body.

Jack slowly angled the harpoon until it was level with the Creeper and waited as the creature reknit its body.

"What are you waiting for?" Jackie frantically whispered, already afraid that the creature would hear. "Do it!"

"No," Jack replied. "Not until it opens its eyes."

Jackie shook his head frantically, but he remained silent and watched the Creeper heal.

Jack stole a glance behind the creature to see that its wings had reattached as well. The Creeper was once again in one piece. Jack then shifted his gaze to the Creeper's hood that covered its face. The hood was slowly peeling backwards toward the monster's neck. And Jack felt a pang of anger and fear as he saw its face for the first time in 23 years.

The Creeper was as ugly as he remembered. It's darkened face and sharp teeth were accentuated by its grotesque lower mandibles that hugged closely to its face. The noise abruptly stopped, and a long moment of complete silence fell throughout the barn. Even the farm itself seemed to be holding its breath.

The Creeper opened its eyes. Jack's gaze never wavered as the creature's optic orbs moved wildly around the barn, searching for a clue as to its surroundings. Then its gaze came to a halt when it locked with Jack's.

The two shared a brief moment of eye contact, and Jack knew he saw recognition in the monster's eyes before he smirked and squeezed the trigger on the harpoon.

The large gun creaked loudly for a few moments, then gave a loud hiss and fell silent.

Jack stared in disbelief for a few moments at the weapon, then looked back up at the Creeper, who was still watching him.

The beast's grotesque mouth slowly curved upward into a smile, and Jack's eyes widened in the realization of his imminent doom. The Creeper then groaned and wrenched its arms free from its restraints.

"Dad…" Jackie said, his voice trembling.

Jack furiously wrenched hard on the harpoon launcher in an attempt to reset it. The Creeper growled again and wrenched its feet from the wall as well. Causing it to fall to the floor of the barn.

Jackie raised the shotgun and took a large step back, Jack looked up and continued to work the launcher, pleading with the machine to bend to his will.

Sparing a glance upward, Jack saw that the Creeper was slowly standing up. It wobbled on its two legs for a moment, then looked back up at Jack and Jackie, murder in its eyes.

"Jackie!" Jack yelled to his son, "It's weak! Shoot it!"

The Creeper suddenly lunged forward at tremendous speed and tackled Jackie to the ground, sending the shot gun flying from his hands. The man and beast slid across the ground before skidding to a stop. The Creeper righted itself on top of Jackie and reached down with both hands to choke him.

"NO!" Jack cried out, running toward the struggling pair, spare harpoon in hand.

He drew his arms back to stab at the Creeper, but the monster roared and swatted Jack with one of its arms.

It was like getting hit by a freight train, and Jack flew backward from the force of the Creeper's blow. He landed hard on his back, and the impact forced the air from his aged lungs. The harpoon flew from his hands and clattered away into the shadows.

Jack gasped and attempted to breathe, shallowly sucking in air in rapid bursts. The pain burned in his chest, but Jack forced himself up to a sitting position.

The Creeper now had both of its hands back on Jackie, and to Jack's horror, Jackie's struggles were growing weaker, and his eyes began fluttering as the Creeper denied him precious oxygen.

Jack struggled to move his body to protect his son, to help, to do anything. He couldn't lose him too. Not to this monster. Jack cried out and crawled to his only remaining family, but he knew he was too late. He wouldn't get there in time, and even if he did, what then? He couldn't fight this thing without that harpoon. His son was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Jack couldn't stop it as despair washed over him, weighing him down more than any chains ever could. He squeezed his eyes shut as his heart broke.

'I'm sorry, Jackie. I'm so sorry…'

 ** _BOOM._**

Jack's eyes snapped open at the sudden noise. He caught sight of a bright blue light fading in front of him. At first, he could only make out a bulky silhouette as his eyes adjusted. As he blinked, details came into view. The figure towering over Jack was humanoid, but only in its shape. It was covered in a heavy green suit which only added to its intimidating physique, and the armor was completed with a helmet covering its facial features.

Jack didn't know what to make of the figure in front of him. He didn't even know if this new stranger could be counted as friendl, but if it wasn't, then it was Jack's only hope. The visor looked down at Jack. It seemed to be examining him.

"Please…" Jack coughed out, raising a pointed finger to the Creeper, which had hardly noticed the arrival of the figure and had resumed strangling Jackie.

"Save him…Please."

The figure looked over its shoulder at Jackie and the Creeper. It seemed to hardly take a millisecond of contemplation before the figure grabbed the Creeper in both hands and threw it off of Jackie.

The Creeper sailed through the air and crashed against the barn wall before falling to the floor, but Jack hardly noticed as he felt eternal relief wash over him at the sight of Jackie gasping for air.

He was ok.

His son alright.

The armored figure spared a glance at Jackie before turning its attention to the Creeper, which had begun picking itself up.

Jack looked over just in time to see the stranger pull out a double-barreled shotgun and fire two blasts directly into the Creeper's stomach.

The monster roared and pain and flew backward into the wall again with a loud thud. Jack struggled to his feet as the stranger ejected the rounds and reloaded the shotgun.

The Creeper stumbled to its feet and glared with hate-filled eyes at the stranger and then at Jack. It seemed to be begrudgingly reaching a conclusion, and before Jack could blink, the Creeper unfurled its wings and crashed through the roof of the barn, flying away into the night.

Jack stared in disbelief that the massive hole in his barn, then looked back at the stranger, who was staring at the hole as well. Slowly, it lowered its shotgun.

Jack stared at him for a few moments more before turning frantically to Jackie, who had forced himself into a sitting position, clutching his throat and coughing.

"Jackie!" Jack said, grabbing both of his son's shoulders.

"I'm alright," Jackie gasped. "I'm ok."

"Thank God," Jack sighed. He then turned back to the figure, which had walked up to them and was looking down at the duo.

"Or I suppose, thank _you_."

The armored stranger nodded once before turning and walking towards the exit, shotgun still in hand.

"Wait!" Jack said, holding a hand out to the stranger, who paused and half-turned back toward them.

Jack didn't want to admit it, even though it was most likely obvious, but he _hated_ the Creeper. He hated it more than he hated anything in this world. That demon had stolen one of his sons, and it had almost stolen another a minute ago. All that vengeance and hatred had boiled in his veins, and as a result, he felt an unquenchable bloodlust for the monster. He would be the one to kill it. Of that he was damn sure.

It was obvious that this stranger wanted to kill this thing too. But Jack wasn't about to let him (at least Jack assumed it was a him) go at this thing alone no matter how strong he seemed to be.

"You can't kill that thing with just a shotgun," Jack said. "It's far too strong."

The stranger said nothing, but that news didn't seem to bother him at all as he turned to walk out of the barn again.

"You don't have any way of chasing it!" Jack yelled out frantically. "You have no way of chasing it down. We have a truck, we can get there much faster than you can on foot!"

The figure stopped again. It stood still for a moment before turning back around and walking back to the two of them.

Jack stumbled to his feet as the stranger approached and held out his hand.

"We can bring this thing down. But we have to work together or else we will all die."

The figure obviously disagreed with Jack, but the promise of transportation was enough, and the figure transferred the shotgun to his left hand and shook Jack's outstretched one.

The metal gauntlet was cold in Jack's grip, but just through physical contact Jack could feel immense power and will underneath the armor. Jack felt a surge of determination course through his body at the feeling, and he allowed himself a smile. With this stranger on their side, they could kill it. Of that he had no doubt.

Jack let go of the stranger's hand and helped Jackie to his feet. Patting his son on the shoulder, Jack nodded to Jackie, who nodded back to indicate he was alright.

Jack turned back to the stranger, who was looking back at him, waiting for him to speak.

Jack pointed to the harpoon gun, which was still inert on the barrel.

"First thing's first, I have to figure out what is wrong with this thing."

The stranger turned and circled the harpoon, examining each part of it with what Jack supposed was a skilled eye.

"Why it didn't fire I have no idea, all of the mechanisms should still be in good working orde…"

The stranger reached up with one hand and grasped the harpoon sitting in the gun. The figure pulled hard, and there was a great screeching of metal as the figure wrenched the harpoon from its position within the gun.

Jack's eyes opened wide, and he immediately understood why the weapon hadn't fired as he gazed at the harpoon the stranger was holding in one hand.

The entire shaft of the harpoon was coated with rust, which covered the shaft in an abstraction of orange patches.

Jack inwardly kicked himself for overlooking such a simple mistake. Over the years, he had been so worried about the Creeper awakening that he had kept the weapon loaded at all time. The thought of the harpoon rusting to the gun had never crossed his mind.

"Oh," Jack said dumbly.

…

The Creeper stood next to the wreckage of a car on the side of the road. The couple that had been driving the car a few moments before had probably been enjoying their evening, but now their mangled bodies lay next to their car. Limbs and organs were missing, and the Creeper felt extremely lucky to have found such beautiful specimens this evening. Their body parts had been perfect, exemplary against so many other humans, and the Creeper had eagerly dug into such a fine meal. The Creeper looked up from its feast and spied more headlights in the distance. More morsels awaited.

The Creeper's vile lips curled into a smile, and it let out a demonic laugh before disappearing into the shadows.

…

Jack put the drill down and inspected his work. The harpoon gun was now securely fastened to the bed of the truck, just as it had been 23 years ago. At first, Jack was unsure about how they were going to get the gun out of the barn and onto the truck, but the stranger had done the job with no effort. Jack had been amazed at the feat. That gun had to have weighed at least six-hundred pounds, and the armored man had hefted it with no sweat. Whatever he was, he wasn't human.

The stranger hadn't spoken a word since arriving, and Jack looked up from his work to see him examining one of the Creeper's weapons.

Jack turned back and tightened the last bolt before standing up and jumping down. Jackie walked up to him.

"Dad, can we trust this…this…thing? What if it wants the same thing as the Creeper?"

"He's only here _for_ the Creeper," Jack said looking at his son. "He wants that thing dead almost as much as I do."

Jackie still seemed distrustful of the stranger, but he took a deep breath and relaxed a little.

"Alright, I trust you dad."

Jack rested his hand on Jackie's shoulder for a moment, then walked over to where the stranger stood.

"Everything is ready. Time to go."

The stranger nodded once.

…

Another car's wreckage sat not half a mile away from the first one. The creeper sighed and licked its lips. More morsels had fallen victim to its hunger, and these ones had been even more bountiful than the last. The Creeper now felt its strength return. In fact, it now felt stronger than ever. These specimens had been some of the most nutritious the Creeper had ever consumed. The Creeper let out a low demonic chuckle at its fortuitous stroke of luck. As the Creeper reveled in its prosperity, it saw another pair of headlights appear in the distance. The Creepers face twisted into a vile grin once more. Time to keep the streak going.

…

Jackie twisted to look back from the driver's seat as the truck sped down the highway. Jack and the stranger were both in the cargo bed, Jack manning the harpoon, and the stranger holding his shotgun with one hand while the other held onto the top for balance. Jack knew they had to be close. They had already passed the wreckage of another car about a quarter of a mile back, and Jack was certain that it had been the Creeper's doing.

Jack spared a glance at the stranger, who was currently scanning the area as they drove. Whatever was under that armor, it wasn't human. It couldn't be. Every vibe that Jack got from this guy was turned up to an 11. Determination and Incorruptibility were radiating from him in waves. That made him extremely dangerous, and Jack thanked whatever God there was up there for making sure he was on their side.

"Dad!" Jackie called from the from the front. Jack looked ahead to see another wrecked car just off the road.

Jack saw it and nodded to Jackie to pull up alongside. Jackie maneuvered the truck off the road and onto the grassy area where the car had crashed.

Jack hopped out of the truck as it came to a stop. His stiff joints protested the sudden movement, but Jack shook it off and walked over to where the wreckage sat. Kneeling down, Jack examined the flat tire that appeared to be the cause of the accident. He squinted for a few moments before he saw what he was looking for.

Careful not to cut himself, Jack tugged a sharpened throwing star from the destroyed rubber. The weapon was made entirely from bone, and Jack recognized the markings on it. Turning back to the truck, Jack held the throwing star out to the stranger, who had gotten out of the truck and approached as well.

"We're definitely close."

The stranger looked at the throwing star for a moment, then turned and scanned the field right next to them.

"No bodies," Jack said, turning as he spoke. He noticed a trail of blood leading into the field, but the waist high grass covered up any other tracks he would hope to find.

"It's out there, and you can bet your ass it's gotten stronger," Jack said.

The figure said nothing, and Jack was about to say more when he heard a faint whistling in the air. Jack frowned as he tried to discern the source of the noise. The whistling began to grow louder, and Jack's eyes widened in realization and dread as he realized the source of the noise. He tried to move, but he was too late.

Jack cried out in pain as something tore into his shoulder. The force of the hit threw him backward into the truck, and Jack clutched at his shoulder and looked down at what had hit him.

"DAD!" Jackie yelled from inside the truck.

Jack's suspicions were proven correct as he saw a knife sticking out of his shoulder. It looked exactly like the one he had used to create his harpoon. And that meant only one thing…

Jack looked up as a guttural roar sounded throughout the night, and Jack looked up to see the Creeper swoop down and land in the field in front of him. Its eyes locked with his, and Jack knew that the Creeper harbored the exact same murderous intent that he did.

Suddenly, gunfire exploded in the night air, and both Jack's and the Creeper's attention was diverted as the stranger opened fire on the Creeper. Somehow, he was holding an automatic rifle instead of a shotgun, and the weapon kicked and flashed as a relentless stream of bullets hit their mark on the Creeper.

The Creeper appeared to be taking damage, but it seemed to ignore it completely as it charged the stranger, who kept firing at the monster. Jack watched, horrified as the Creeper wrapped up the stranger in its arms, unfurled its wings, and flew straight up into the sky.

Jack watched as the grew distant in the night sky, then turned his attention to the knife sticking out of his shoulder.

"Dad hold on!" Jackie called as he leapt out of the truck to aid his father.

Jack stumbled upright as Jackie came around. Jackie examined the wound for a moment, then grasped the knife tightly in his hand.

"It's not too deep. I'm gonna yank it out."

"Go," Jack said. He grit his teeth as Jackie pulled hard, and there was a sickening sucking noise as Jackie pulled the knife out.

Jack took a moment to catch his breath, then turned to Jackie.

"Get back in the truck, we have to move."

Jackie nodded and turned to get back in the vehicle, but both Taggarts froze as a loud thud came from behind them. Dirt and dust had flown up into the air, but it cleared quickly, and both of them saw the stranger stand up on its feet in the small crater he had formed. Something large and leathery was in his hands.

"Did he…just fall from the sky?" Jackie asked in disbelief.

Jack didn't answer, but he frowned as he tried to discern what the object in the stranger's hands was. His question was answered as the Creeper crashed to the ground about twenty feet away from the trio.

He was holding a wing. The Creeper's wing.

The Creeper stumbled to its feet and roared in pain and rage at the figure, who threw the wing to the ground, and turned to face the demon.

The Creeper yelled and made to charge the armored man again. Faster than Jack could blink, the figure had pulled out another weapon which Jack didn't recognize. The Creeper jumped into the air, claws and fangs prepared to sink into its prey, and the figure fired the weapon. A blue beam exploded forth and struck the Creeper square in the chest. The monster cried out as the force blew it back into the field.

"Holy shit!" Jackie yelled, obviously in awe of the weapon. Jack nodded in agreement, but words escaped him at the moment.

In the field, the Creeper struggled to its feet again, its weight still off balance due to missing a wing. The stranger began walking towards the Creeper and fired the beam weapon again. This time the beam shot straight through the Creeper's right arm, and the force sent it spinning as the arm exploded away from the body. The Creeper, now with only one wing and one arm, was quickly beginning to realize who was winning the battle.

The figure raised the weapon to fire again, but the Creeper pushed off the ground and jumped backward, barely avoiding the third shot as it exploded against the Earth. Jack watched as the Creeper suddenly produced another knife and hurled it with its functioning hand at the stranger.

"Look out!"

The stranger threw his hand up and caught the knife in his hand. Without hesitation, the figure squeezed, crushing the metal in his gauntleted hand. Jack stared in awe for a few moments before looking back over to the Creeper, which was running as fast as it could for the tree line. Jack snapped back into focus.

"Jackie! The truck!" He yelled, whipping around to climb into the back.

Jackie nodded and sprinted around to the driver's side. Jack took up position behind the harpoon as Jackie gunned the engine. The truck lurched and tore across the field, leaving the figure behind.

"Keep it in your sight!" Jack yelled. "We can't let it get to the tree line!"

Jackie responded by acceleration even more. Jack focused on the Creeper as well and felt a sense of invigoration as he realized they were gaining on it.

Something caught his eye on the right, and Jack nearly slapped himself when he saw the figure running alongside the truck.

 _Running. Alongside._

Jack froze for a moment at the sight of such a physical impossibility, but then his mouth twisted into a snarl, and he turned back to the Creeper, which was almost to the trees.

'You might just be the one to kill this thing,' Jack thought. 'But I'll be damned if I don't get a shot in!'

With that, Jack fired the harpoon. Jack watched as the metal rod flew from the launcher and towards the target, rope trailing behind. As if it were in slow motion, Jack watched the harpoon fly through the air and strike the Creeper right through the stomach. Time slowed to a crawl as the demon lurched backward from the shot, then Jack yelled out.

"Jackie! Brakes!"

Jack held on as Jackie slammed down hard on the brakes of the truck. Causing the vehicle to skid to a grinding halt. The rope from the harpoon caught, and Jack watched as the Creeper was stopped dead in its tracks like a dog on a leash.

The truck lurched again against the Creeper's momentum, but the 2-ton vehicle held against the wounded monster's struggles.

"Yeah!" Jack shouted, pumping his fist into the air. As he celebrated, he noticed that the stranger had kept running, and now was already to where the Creeper had fallen.

The Creeper looked up at him with malice in its eyes and roared. The stranger quickly muffled the monster by stomping down on its head with an armored boot. The Creeper twitched from the blow and attempted to get away, but the stranger quickly grabbed one of its remaining arm and ripped it clean from the Creeper's body. The Creeper cried out again as the stranger discarded the limb and flipped its body over. With the Creeper now on its front, the stranger stomped a boot hard onto its back, took the creature's other wing in both hands, and tore it off as well.

Jack watched in a suspended state of horror and satisfaction as the stranger proceeded to completely rip every limb from the Creeper's body. His eyes widened when the stranger finished with its head.

Bringing its boot down again, the figure stomped down hard onto the Creeper's throat, choking the monster. Then it grasped the Creeper by the sides of its face and heaved. A wet ripping noise was heard, and Jack nearly gagged as the Creeper's head slowly separated from its shoulders. With a final tear, the head came free. And the Creeper's struggles abruptly ceased. Casting the night into silence once more.

Jack stood in a stupor as the stranger walked back over to the truck. In one hand he had Jack's harpoon, and in the other he held the Creeper's severed head. Jack said nothing as the stranger tossed both items into the bed, the head rolling around before coming to rest by Jack's foot. Jack stared from the head back to the stranger, completely at a loss for words.

Finally, Jack swallowed and nodded down to the stranger, who looked back up at him.

"After all this time, I think we finally did it," Jack said. Jackie nodded from his position in the driver's seat.

"This demon has tormented me and mine for 23 years, and you have my thanks for ending our suffering."

The figure looked from one Taggart to the other, nodded once, and gave them both a thumbs up with his right hand.

A bright flash suddenly illuminated Jack's vision followed by a loud bang, and Jack squinted against the harsh light, but it faded as quickly as it had appeared, casting the night into darkness once again.

Jack looked at his son, then knelt down and examined the Creeper's head before picking it up by its hair. Jack smirked at a sudden thought.

It certainly wasn't as pretty as a deer head, but it would look just fine mounted above his fireplace.


	9. Oblivion

Chapter 9

 _A/N: HAHA! I'm back! In this chapter, protagonist goes toe-to-toe with the Daedric hordes of "Oblivion", and by Talos are they in for a beating! Remember that I own nothing!_

Jauffre cleared his throat and turned the page on the book he was reading. It was a late evening at Weynon Priory, and the other residents had already turned in for the evening. Only Jauffre remained awake, but that was usually the case. He would often stay up later than the others to continue reading his books. He would turn in a few hours later.

Jauffre looked up from his book as he heard the front door open. There was a shuffling of feet at the entrance, then the door closed again with a creak. Heavy footfalls drew closer, and Jauffre wondered who could be out and about at such a late hour. His question was answered as the stranger ascended the stairs and came into view. Jauffre recognized him immediately as none other than Baurus, a fellow Blade. The both smiled widely.

"My old friend, it has been far too long," Jauffre said, marking his page in the book and standing up from his desk. He made his way around the table and greeted Baurus with a firm shake of his hand.

"Indeed, it has, Grandmaster," Baurus responded. Jauffre was glad to see Baurus smiling, as he had worried that the weight of the emperor's death would crush his spirit.

"Please! Have a seat. I'll pour us some wine," Jauffre said, gesturing for Baurus to have a seat at the table.

"I'm afraid I cannot, Jauffre," Baurus said. "I have important business to attend to, and I must be on my way."

Jauffre shook his head. That was the Baurus that he had always known. Always busying himself and never allowing a moment's rest. Jauffre would not let him make excuses this time.

"At this hour? I should certainly hope not. Stay tonight with us at the Priory, Baurus. That is an order from your Grandmaster."

Baurus looked like he wanted to argue some more, but the presence of a direct order from his superior quieted him. Baurus chuckled and shook his head.

"Thank you, Jauffre. You are too kind."

Jauffre smiled and moved to the shelf to grab a bottle of wine and two tankards as Baurus took a seat. Returning to the table, Jauffre filled the tankards and placed one in front of the younger Blade, who nodded in thanks and took a drink.

Jauffre nodded in satisfaction before taking a seat across from Baurus at the table.

"So, tell me, what brings you to Weynon Priory at such a late hour?" Jauffre asked.

"I have come to ensure that the Amulet of Kings has successfully reached you, and to follow up on some leads I have regarding the emperor's murder," Baurus said.

"The Amulet of Kings has indeed reached me," Jauffre said. "I am keeping it safe inside a secret location."

Jauffre gestured to the closet along the back wall, and Baurus glanced over before turning back and nodding.

"And what of the person who delivered it? Where have they gone?" Baurus asked.

Jauffre thought back to a few days ago when a strange Imperial had arrived and presented him with the Amulet and the tale of the Emperor's death. Jauffre had been initially skeptical of the Imperial's story, but since he had willingly handed over the Amulet, Jauffre had been inclined to trust him.

"The prisoner you mean? I have sent him to Kvatch to retrieve Martin and bring him here. He must be crowned as the new Emperor as soon as possible. I fear the worst if the Dragonfires stay dark for much longer."

Baurus lowered his eyes solemnly.

"It's all my fault," he whispered. "If only I had been more vigilant, I could've prevented this all from happening."

"That's enough, Baurus," Jauffre said sternly. "The blood of Uriel Septim is not on your hands. Never allow yourself to believe that."

Jauffre held a faint rumbling in the distance. A storm must be brewing.

"You're…you're right," Baurus said. "It's just difficult to have been there, to have been so close and yet so far. To wonder if you could've done something…said something…anything to change the outcome.

"Baurus," Jauffre said. "All is not lost. Martin will come to us, and we can make this right. I promise."

Baurus sighed deeply, then raised his head and nodded to Jauffre, a slight smile appearing once again on his face.

Another rumble came from outside.

Baurus looked out the window.

"Sounds like quite the storm brewing…What in the name of Talos is that?!"

Jauffre frowned and turned around to look out the window. What he saw chilled him to the bone.

The sky was turning red. No, it was worse than that. It was as though the heavens themselves were splitting open. The inky black shell of the night sky was cracking, and the red seeped through. It looked almost like something out of Jauffre's worst nightmares.

The red seeped into the very air itself, casting a hellish glow on everything in sight.

Jauffre was shaken from his stupor as the door to the Priory House opened again. This time, hasty footsteps climbed the stairs two at a time, and Eronor the Shepard burst into view. The dark elf had drawn his club, and he held it at the ready.

"Brother Jauffre! Come quick! It's…it's…by Azura I don't know what it is, but Daedra are pouring out of it!"

Jauffre spared a worried glance at Baurus before quickly getting up to retrieve his weapon. Rushing over to his personal chest, Jauffre quickly produced his key and shoved it into the lock. The chest yielded, and Jauffre reached inside and pulled out his favorite weapon: his Akaviri Dai-Katana. Jauffre took a moment to marvel at the beauty of the weapon before turning back to Baurus, who had already drawn his own Katana from his hip.

"Baurus, I thank you for helping to protect my home."

"I would have it no other way, Grandmaster," Baurus replied.

Jauffre nodded, and together the two of them followed Eronor out of the Priory house and into the night.

Jauffre supposed it really couldn't be called night anymore, as the reddened sky illuminated the landscape. It cast the feeling of sunset in Jauffre's mind, even though everything seemed to glow under the blood hue.

"This way! Quickly!" Eronor called before leading them out of the square and into the forest beyond. Jauffre was about to inquire as to the distance of this disturbance when he saw it with his own eyes.

"By the Nine…" Baurus whispered next to him as it came into view.

What Jauffre saw, he could not even begin to describe. Two stone spires had erupted from the Earth, each sprouting demonic-looking spikes as branches, and between them glowed a violent angry red energy that pulsed and hummed in the night air. The very structure itself seemed to be ablaze. The structure was at least twenty feet tall, and all around the structure, demonic creatures that Jauffre recognized as Daedra stood guard.

Jauffre recognized the creatures from his studies on Daedra, and instantly classified them. There were four Daedra in total, and of the four, two were Scamps, one was a Deadroth, and the fourth was none other than a Dremora, the humanoid demons that served their Daedric Lords faithfully and viciously.

The Dremora turned and saw Jauffre, Eronor, and Baurus as they approached. Jauffre had never seen a Dremora in the flesh before, and he could now confirm that it was far more frightening than reading about them from a book. Its face was a mixture of black and red, with small horns that sprouted from its forehead to match. The demon was large, larger than even the largest Nord Jauffre had seen, and it was adorned with a hellish set of glowing Daedric armor. Jauffre felt a jolt of ice shoot down his spine.

With a growl, the Dremora unsheathed a massive, two-handed, Daedric sword from its back.

"I will break you, churl!" The Dremora roared in its demonic and gravelly voice. The horned-demon's battle cry roused the rest of the Daedra, and they too sprang into action.

"Baurus! Take the Deadroth! Eronor…the scamps! I'll hold the Dremora!" Jauffre yelled before charging at the red-skinned demon.

The Dremora roared again and brought his sword down violently to cleave Jauffre in two, but Jauffre parried the blow with his katana and countered with a swift slash to the Dremora's unprotected flank. Jauffre's sword hit home, but the thick Deadric armor held against the blow. Without the armor, Jauffre was sure that blow would've killed the Dremora. But since the armor prevented his sword from slicing through, he was sure that the damage at maximum had only been a few broken ribs. The Dremora roared in pain and swung at Jauffre again.

This time, Jauffre couldn't properly dodge the attack, and there was a flash of pain as the sword sliced into his right leg.

"Argh!" Jauffre yelled as he stumbled. He fell to one knee, cradling his injured leg. Looking back, Jauffre saw that the Daedric sword had completely sliced through his robe, and that blood was already pooling from the wound. Jauffre momentarily ignored his pain and shifted his attention back to the Dremora in front of him.

"Your flesh is mine, mortal!" The Dremora shouted as it raised its sword again to strike.

In a flash, Jauffre pushed hard off his knee and thrust his sword straight through the Dremora's neck. The beast had neglected to wear a helm, and the sword easily plunged through its skin.

The Dremora cried out in pain and surprise and began choking on the metal and blood that now filled its throat.

With a heave, Jauffre wrenched his sword from the demon and stumbled to his feet as the Dremora fell to its knees. With a last gurgle, the horned Daedra fell onto its side and moved no more. Jauffre quickly summoned a healing spell and cast it onto himself.

Instant relief flooded into Jauffre's body as the blue Magicka washed over his body. He looked back at his leg again to see that was almost completely mended now.

With that taken care of, Jauffre whipped his head around to assess his allies.

To his left, Eronor was fending off the last of the two scamps, the first one lay motionless next to him in a pool of blood. With a yell, Eronor brought his club down hard onto the remaining scamp's head, and the goblin-like Daedra shrieked before falling over, dead.

Jauffre then turned again to see Baurus walking towards him. The Daedroth lay in a heap with several stab wounds behind him. Baurus himself was covered with several claw marks, and some looked rather deep.

"Allow me," Jauffre said before casting a healing spell on his old friend. The claw marks healed quickly, and Baurus let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Jauffre," he said with a smile. "Without you I would certainly be dead."

"I doubt it," Jauffre said back, then frowned as he stared at the massive wall of energy before them.

"What…What is this thing?" Eronor asked, his face a mask of shock and awe.

"I don't know," Jauffre said. "But its appearance resembles that of a massive doorway."

"A doorway to where?" Baurus asked.

Jauffre was about to reply when two more figures emerged from the massive structure. Jauffre's blood ran cold as he recognized them both as Dremora. The two demons surveyed the bodies then snarled at the trio.

"Prepare to die, mortal!" One of them roared. They both charged.

Jauffre readied his weapon.

"Baur…!"

A series of loud bangs drowned out Jauffre's voice, and his eyes opened wide as both Dremora suddenly staggered backward. It was as though they had both been punched by an invisible fist. The Dremora then began twitching and spasming wildly before them, though nothing appeared to be touching them in any regard.

As Jauffre tried to make sense of the scene, he saw small puffs of blood burst in rapid succession from their chests as the banging continued. The noise was like nothing that Jauffre had ever heard before, but he equated it to the sound of multiple hammers banging against a rock over and over again.

The sound abruptly stopped, and Jauffre watched as the Dremora both fell lifeless to the ground. The three of them stared in awe at the scene they had just witnessed, each of them at a complete loss for words.

The sound of heavy footsteps behind them roused Jauffre from his state of shock, and the three men turned around to see a figure approach them from the shadows. Jauffre squinted in an attempt to make out the details, but the more he saw, the more questions he had.

The figure that appeared was completely clad in some sort of armor. That fact alone was not surprising to Jauffre, but the armor that adorned this stranger was of some sort of material and make that Jauffre had never seen before.

In addition to the newcomer's unorthodox appearance, Jauffre noticed the strange weapon the figure carried in its hands. The weapon appeared to be made of metal, but the material was the only aspect that was familiar to Jauffre. Other than that, the weapon may as well have been from another planet.

The figure's appearance gave Jauffre no reason at all to trust it, but for some reason, Jauffre knew that it was here to help, and that it had been the one responsible for the bizarre deaths of the two Dremora before him.

"You there," Jauffre said. "Do you know what this is?" Jauffre gestured to the large glowing structure behind him.

The figure looked at the large wall of flame, then shook it head no.

"I think I might then," Jauffre said, speaking to Eronor and Baurus as he did so.

All eyes turned to Jauffre, well, Jauffre _assumed_ that he stranger was looking at him. It was difficult to tell due to its helm.

"I believe it is a portal to the plane of Oblivion."

Silence settled among them. The only noise was the demonic humming that emanated from the portal behind them.

"Jauffre, are you sure?" Baurus asked. His voice level and controlled, but Jauffre always knew when Baurus was anixious. He could see it in his eyes.

"I fear it is so, Baurus," Jauffre said sadly. "I fear this may be the consequence of the Dragonfires going dark."

Baurus pondered the information for a moment, then nodded his head once.

"You may be correct. And if you are, then we are in far more danger than anyone could have foreseen."

Jauffre nodded solemnly.

"I am afraid we have no time to acknowledge our dread," Jauffre said. "We must find a way to close the portal."

Everyone turned to stare at the glowing gate, which was humming steadily.

"Eronor," Jauffre said, turning to the shepherd.

"Yes, brother Jauffre?" The dark elf replied. Jauffre could see the fear in his eyes too, and he tried his best to convey a calm expression.

"Contact the Imperial Legion, if we cannot find a way to close this gate, then we will need manpower to suppress the Daedra that come through. There is no telling the numbers that lie inside."

Eronor nodded quickly and ran back to the Priory, seemingly eager to get as far away from the demonic gate as possible.

"Baurus, my friend," Jauffre said, turning to the young Blade. "I am afraid that I can only think of one way to close this gate."

"We will have to…go inside," Baurus said, his eyes glancing at the gate once more.

"Yes," Jauffre said.

Baurus hesitated, then nodded once. "I am with you."

"And you?" Jauffre asked, turning to face the stranger in armor. "I'm afraid we do not know you, but we appear to be fighting on the same side. Will you help us close this gate?"

The figure looked from Jauffre to the gate, and Jauffre could see the fiery glow reflected from its visor. The figure regarded the gate for a moment, then turned to Jauffre and nodded once. Jauffre smiled.

"You have my thanks. May Talos bless you."

The figure didn't seem to know or care who Talos was as it immediately started toward the gate. Its metal weapon remained in its hands, and Jauffre nodded once to Baurus before following in the stranger's footsteps.

When they reached the gate, Jauffre and Baurus paused for a moment and looked up at the massive spire was the portal. The stranger paid them no mind and continued through the entryway. The fire swallowed it up, and Jauffre and Baurus shared a look before tentatively stepping forward through the gate.

A warm feeling fell immediately over Jauffre, as though he had suddenly stepped outside on a very hot day, and he was momentarily blinded by the bright red that filled his vision. Jauffre blinked his eyes rapidly in an attempt to adjust them, but in a short moment, he suddenly found himself in an entirely new landscape. Jauffre glanced around wildly, and what he saw chilled him to the bone despite the heat.

Before him lay what Jauffre could only call a nightmare. Everything Jauffre saw looked as though it wanted to die, kill him, or both. The ground was completely charred and dry, seemingly more infertile than any soil Jauffre had ever seen, but even so, Jauffre spied a few vines and grass growing out of the rock in some places, though none of them were varieties that he recognized. The sky was a deep red, and all around him stretched a massive lake of lava, bubbling and gurgling in a slow but ominous rhythm. Even more spikes protruded from the ground as well, and it seemed the entire purpose of this place was to torture those that occupied it. The stranger and Baurus stood next to him as well. Both were looking around the landscape, and Baurus's eyes were slightly widened.

"Where in Akatosh are we?" Baurus asked in disbelief.

"I believe I know," Jauffre said solemnly. "We have entered a realm of Oblivion, specifically the Oblivion realm of Mehrunes Dagon. The Deadlands."

"Are you sure?" Baurus asked incredulously.

"I'm afraid so, the texts I have read could not have provided a more accurate description of this hellish place."

Jauffre then turned his attention to a massive building that stood dead ahead of them. It was the only structure on the small island they were on, but it was easily taller than most chapels that Jauffre had ever visited. Spikes also protruded from the structure, and Jauffre could see a bright yellow glow coming from the pinnacle.

"The source of power to keep the gate open must be at the top of the spire," Jauffre said pointing. "If we disable it, it may close the gate."

Baurus and the stranger both stared up to the spire, then agreed with Jauffre. Baurus verbally. The stranger with a nod of its head.

"Ok then," Baurus said. "Let's get to the top of the tower and close this gate!"

As Baurus spoke, more daedra seemed to appear from places Jauffre had not seen before. Scamps, Deadroths, Spider Daedra, and Dremora alike seemed to come from nowhere. Despite their mysterious appearance, it was no mystery to Jauffre what their intentions were.

Raising his sword, Jauffre issued a few commands.

"Stay close together, we must fight our way to the top."

He saw Baurus and the stranger nod from the corner of his eye. Then, in an unspoken command, the three of them charged forward towards the tower, slaying any Daedra that stood in their path. Jauffre stayed light on his feet to avoid any blows that came his way and did his best to locate weaknesses among the Daedra he was battling. Baurus stood at his side, and at times, the two were back to back against the horde.

Though they slew many, Jauffre noticed with a start that for every demon that he slew, the stranger slew four or five. At one point during the battle in their rush to the tower, Jauffre looked over to see that the stranger had pulled a different weapon out. This one appeared to be an item made of wood with two metal cylinders protruding out the end, and the stranger held it in both hands. Each time the stranger used the weapon, it made a deafening boom and fired some sort of magic from its cylinders. The magic was nothing like Jauffre had ever seen before, as it seemed to cause an explosion against whichever creature the stranger fired it at.

Whatever that weapon was, it was proving exceedingly effective against the Daedric horde, and Jauffre had even felt a sense of invigoration as a Daedroth's head exploded from the magic the stranger possessed.

Finally making it to the door, the trio bolted inside to find even more Daedra inside the tower. There seemed to be no shortage of the foes, and Jauffre and Baurus quickly grew weary as they continued to battle their way upward to the top of the spire, pausing only for a moment in each room they cleared to catch their breath.

Jauffre quickly noted how the stranger never seemed to grow tired no matter how many Daedra they slew. Its armor must have been enchanted to fortify its stamina. Jauffre could think of no other explanation.

Another thing Jauffre noticed about the stranger was how it seemed to find more and more brutal ways to kill each Daedra they encountered. It had gone from ripping the head from a scamp to crushing a Spider Daedra's head from beneath its foot. In the pinnacle of gore, Jauffre had watched, slightly horrified as the stranger ripped a Daedroth's arm clean from its body and beat the scaly foe to death with it. Jauffre had always had a thick stomach, but even he began to feel slightly queasy form the brutality this stranger had delivered.

In addition to their weariness, Baurus and Jauffre also sustained multiple injuries from their push to the top of the spire. Jauffre healed them as best as he could, but before he knew it, he had expended all of his magicka. With no way to heal, Jauffre and Baurus took on many wounds before they reached the top.

Limping slightly with Baurus supporting him, Jauffre limped up the ramp and into the next room. Jauffre looked up wearily and saw that this must have been the top, as the chamber he stepped in was quite massive, and up a few more winding staircases sat a large glowing stone. The stone burned brightly, and a beam of fire extended from it directly into the floors below.

"There!" Jauffre said, pointing weakly to the stone. "That must be it."

Baurus and the stranger both silently agreed. They all began making their way to the first set of stairs.

Suddenly, a powerful fire spell struck the ground directly in front of them, and they all stopped in their tracks. Looking to the source, Jauffre's blood turned to ice in his veins when a Dremora stepped out of the shadows across from them.

Jauffre's disposition worsened even further when he realized that this was no ordinary Dremora. In addition to the glowing Daedric armor that he Dremora wore, it also carried a shield and a Daedric longsword at its side.

This was a Dremora Valkynaz. If Jauffre remembered his texts correctly, a Valkynaz was the highest rank a Dremora could obtain within the legions of Mehrunes Dagon. They commanded armies and were held in the highest prestige among the Daedra for their prowess in combat. And now, one stood before them. And neither Jauffre nor Baurus were in any shape to fight. This was bad.

The Valkynaz sneered at them but made no attempt to draw its weapon as the trio stood silently. A brief moment of tense silence passed between mortals and immortal, then the Dremora spoke.

"You have fought well, mortals. Well enough to shame my kin greatly, and thus, I seek to regain our honor."

Jauffre stood flabbergasted at the demon before them, but quickly regained his composure.

"What do you want from us then?"

"I want you to die," the Dremora chided. "But seeing your pitiful state, there is no honor to be regained in killing you two."

The Dremora was referring to Jauffre and Baurus's wounded state, of course. Jauffre tried his best to stand upright before the Valkynaz.

"Therefore, I issue a formal challenge to you," the Dremora then addressed the armored stranger. "Face me in single combat for the lives of your kin. If you are victorious, then I will be dead, and the sigil stone, yours. But if I- "

The Valkynaz suddenly bellowed in agony as a bright blue beam of light blasted through it midsection.

Jauffre stumbled back in surprise and looked to see that the source of the beam had come from none other than the stranger. Or to be more specific, the beam had come from a new weapon that the stranger held in its hands. This one glowed with a faint blue light and whirred passively.

Jauffre and Baurus stared at the stranger incredulously. The stranger turned to look at them, then shrugged. They then turned back to the Dremora. The force of the beam had torn the demon in two, even though it had been in full armor. Its upper torso lay a few feet from its legs, and its entrails were spewed everywhere. It was dead before it had even drawn its weapon.

Jauffre looked back up to the sigil stone, still burning atop the ramps.

"Let's get up there and end this," Jauffre said. Baurus and the stranger both agreed silently, and together they ascended the staircases and ramps to the top where the sigil stone sat.

Jauffre stared in a scholarly awe at the stone as they approached. It glowed and hummed with the magic of the Daedra, which was coming off of it in waves.

"The only concern now is how to remove it," Barus said. Jauffre squinted as he tried to find a discernable release on the stone's cradle.

The stranger stood silent for a moment, then reached out and unceremoniously yanked the stone from its spot.

Immediately the air around them was saturated with a bright light and a loud roaring. Jauffre could neither hear nor see anything except a bright white light. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to the Nine that it would end.

Jauffre then felt the cool night air on his skin. He tentatively opened his eyes and looked around. The forests of Tamriel came into his vision, and Jauffre looked around wildly before realizing that they had been transported outside the gate. Baurus was standing next to him, and the stranger too, the sigil stone still held in one hand and the whirring beam weapon in the other.

Jauffre then looked back at the gate and saw that it was now gone. No demonic red energy hummed between the two spires, even though spikes were still present on the charred ground.

They had done it. The gate was destroyed.

Jauffre immediately felt a certain giddiness that he had not felt for a long time.

"By Talos, we did it!" He said, smiling wide.

Baurus chuckled next to him. "Yes. Yes, we did, my friend."

Jauffre beamed at him, then turned to the figure, who was examining the stone in its hand.

"You have my thanks as well, stranger. We would not have survived without you by our side."

The stranger looked up and nodded once before looking back at the stone.

"As for that," Jauffre said. "I know only a little of these sigil stones. Supposedly they contain a great power over a certain enchantment, with no two stones being the same."

Jauffre squinted and tried to decipher the Daedric runes inscribed on the small sphere.

"If I am correct, this particular stone relates to life forces. I think the inscription reads: 'life decay'. Now if only there were a way to harness it…"

Jauffre stumbled back as the figure abruptly crushed the stone in its hand. In awe, Jauffre watched the red Daedric energy seeped down from the figure's closed fist and into its beam weapon. As the energy seeped in, the weapon's glow changed from a light blue to a deep red to match the energy it had just absorbed.

"My word…" Jauffre said. "Well, I suppose that works."

Jauffre stood silently for a moment as the figure examined its weapon, then continued.

"I once again thank you for helping us close that Oblivion gate. I would be deeply grateful if you were to remain here and help us, but I cannot dispel a feeling that you are needed elsewhere.

The figure nodded, indicating that Jauffre was correct.

"I suppose this is where we part ways then. Farewell, my friend."

The figure looked from Jauffre to Baurus, then lifted its right hand and made a gesture with it that Jauffre didn't recognize. It was a closed fist with its thumb straightened vertically.

What it meant, Jauffre did not have a chance to find out, as the figure was immediately engulfed in a bright blue light. A loud bang was heard, and Jauffre staggered back for a moment before the light faded.

When he looked again, the stranger was gone.

 _A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, just in case any of you weren't sure, the Doom Slayer has used the Sigil stone on the Gauss cannon. And the enchantment is a "Damage Health" enchantment, with my own personal twist on it. What is the twist you may ask? Well you will just have to wait and see! Remember to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the video...Wait, wrong platform...sorry! Heh heh I joke sometimes. Anyhow, make sure to review the story if you loved/hated it, I always love getting feedback. Until next time!_


	10. Halo

Chapter 10

 _A/N: Awwww yeah, you already know what it is! I decided to bring you all a little something special for the tenth chapter, and what better to choose a franchise that everyone knows and loves. Everyone give a welcoming round of applause to our favorite Doom Slayer as he arrives in the Halo Universe! Reminder that I own nothing!_

"Noble Six, activate the turrets and set up a perimeter."

Six winked his acknowledgement light from his HUD, signaling that he had heard and was in the process of carrying out the order. He glanced once more back up to the massive structure buried in the cavern before double-timing it to the first set of turrets.

What could Dr. Halsey have found here that was so damn important?

Six decided he would find out soon enough as he punched the activation command into the first turret's interface. He stepped back as the automated gun came to life. Its sensors designated him as a friendly, and Six double checked that all systems on the turret were operational before jogging to the next turret. Six repeated the process three more times before hightailing it back to the rest of Noble Team, who had set up fortifications outside the entrance to Dr. Halsey's lab.

"Turrets online, sir," Six announced as he took up position behind some of the sandbags.

"Just in time, Lieutenant," Carter replied over their COM. "We got phantoms incoming!"

Six could hear the ghostly whirring of the phantom in the distance. He had always assumed that all Covenant vehicles had been nicknamed after apparitions and spirits due to the eerie hum that they made. Six identified the phantom by sight just as a number of grunts and jackals poured out of the dropship. Six barely had time to take aim at the hostiles before Emile barked out a warning.

"Get down! Banshees, 12 o'clock!"

Six looked up to see a squadron of three banshees appear and take aim at their position. Six ducked behind the sandbags just before the aircraft opened fire. He felt the pulses of plasma turn some of his cover to glass before the banshees passed over head. Six's training immediately took over, and he rose out of cover and took aim at the approaching grunt and jackal horde.

Well-placed shots from his DMR quickly dispatched six of the aliens, but there were at least fifty of them approaching. If they reached their fortifications, there would be nowhere for the Spartans to run.

Luckily enough for Six, the wave of aliens had just come into the turret's range, and the mounted chain gun was music to his ears as the turret pelted ordinance into the swarm. The group quickly fell into disarray as the turret relentlessly pounded them, shredding through the jackal's shields and the grunts' methane packs. Bright blue and purple blood saturated the snow, melting through to the hard rock beneath.

The rest of Noble Team focused fire on the remaining aliens, quickly dispatching any stragglers.

"Six, grab a Jackhammer and take out those Banshees," Carter's voice instructed in Six's HUD.

Six winked his acknowledgement light and quickly hefted the launcher to his shoulder. The banshees had circled back for another pass and were already taking aim again.

Four banshees, the rocket launcher only held two rockets at a time, meaning Six would have to reload once if he wanted to take out all four.

He quickly did a calculation in his head, accounting for trajectory and time from firing to detonation, then took aim with the launcher and fired. The rocket burst from the weapon and arced in an intercept path. It made contact and detonated against the

banshee at the edge of the formation, blasting one of its wings apart. The sudden imbalance caused the Banshee to veer straight into the rest of the formation, crashing and destroying two other banshees in its path. The far aircraft was able to veer away from the wreckage just in time, but Six already had missile lock on the lucky survivor. The launcher kicked against his shoulder again, and another rocket burst forth, targeting the heat signature that the Banshee gave off. The small aircraft attempted to maneuver, but it was too late. The missile detonated against its nose, and the aircraft exploded quite spectacularly.

"Yeah! Nice job, Six," came Emile's voice from the COM channel.

"Look alive, Noble," Carter's voice drew the attention back. "We've got two more phantoms inbound."

Six looked and saw that indeed two more phantoms had swooped in. This time, the phantoms opened fire on the turret emplacements with their mounted plasma cannons, the explosive plasma quickly melted the fortifications, effectively destroying them beyond repair. Only when the turrets had been destroyed did the phantoms drop their cargo. More grunts and jackals poured from the sides, but Six saw a plethora of elites and Brutes drop from the ships as well.

"Brutes and elites!" Jun called out. He fired once from his sniper rifle. "Major-class, armor type and shield strength confirm."

"Roger! Noble Team, focus fire on the Majors."

Six acknowledged from his HUD. It was one of the earliest strategies devised to battle the Covenant. Grunts and sometimes Jackals would lose their nerve if their field commanders fell, and they would scatter and disorient. Which meant good things for the marines.

Six took aim at an approaching elite and targeted its head, where its shield was weaker. The first three shots rippled the shield, and the fourth broke through, beaming through the elite's light faceplate. The large alien fell to the ground, dead. Six instantly acquired another elite but was blasted to the side by a massive explosion of plasma to his right.

The heat blistered on his back, and Six immediately tucked into a roll as his training had taught him. Those who hesitated…died. As Six rolled back to his feet, Carter's voice barked in his HUD.

"Wraith contact, 200 meters out!"

"Sir, these fortifications won't stand up against that kind of firepower!" Emile's voice yelled over the COM.

"Hold this position Noble Team!" Carter ordered. "Stay mobile, don't let the Wraith lock in on your position."

Six acknowledged and hustled another section of cover: A thick steel wall built for just the purpose he needed. Peeking around, Six saw that there had to have been at least one-hundred aliens advancing on their position. Around three-quarters of that force were grunts and jackals, but none of that information offered comfort.

Pulling the Jackhammer back out, Six broke cover and fired directly into the center of the mass of aliens. The explosion blew a hole into the middle of the Covenant forces but had little effect on the overall odds of victory. Six moved out of cover to fire again but was immediately forced back behind the wall as the Covenant returned fire. Plasma burst against his shields en masse, depleting them to zero in an instant. The aliens continued to pelt his cover, bolts bursting and searing into the wall from the other side, and Six could feel the heat from the impacts through the dense metal.

Six pulled out a grenade and tossed it over his cover. A dull blast came from the other side, and Six heard cries of pain as the grenade did its job.

"Another phantom coming in!" Jun called. "Sir, we are being overrun!"

"Stand your ground Noble Team!" Carter commanded. "We fight until the last man!"

Six had no time to acknowledge, the advancement was nearly upon him, and Six could have sworn he heard the infamous plasmic hiss of an energy sword powering to life.

Another heavy plasma blast exploded next to Six, courtesy of the Wraith.

Six was a realist. He knew that these were nigh unbeatable odds, but Spartans felt no fear. He may go down today, but he was going to make damn sure that a few Covenant were going with him.

Just as Six leaned out of cover to fire again, he was greeted by a sudden burst of blue light and a loud bang between him and the encroaching threat.

Six's visor immediately compensated against the bright light, but Six found himself to be more confused than anything else. At first, he thought the light to be a plasma grenade exploding in his face, but he could feel no pain. Was he dead?

The light suddenly faded, and Six's visor brightened again. What he saw confused him. Before him stood a figure clad entirely in dark green armor. The fact that the figure was covered in armor was not surprising to Six, but a multitude of other things were. The first of which was its appearance. As far as Six's augmented vision could tell, the armor that this figure was human, and the armor it was wearing was certainly not of covenant origin, but it matched none of the current power armor or marine armor variants that Six knew of. The figure itself was not much taller than six feet, which made Six's best guess that this was an ODST from all of the armor it was wearing.

The biggest question on Six's mind was where the hell it had come from. It was as though a miniature Slipspace portal had opened and the figure stepped through, which opened a whole new line of questioning if that were the case.

Six noticed that the entire battlefield seemingly lulled at the unorthodox arrival, and all eyes were averted to the unexpected turn of events. Spartan and Covenant alike. Six was trained never to hesitate, but for some unexplainable reason, he felt it necessary that this figure made the first move. The rest of Noble Team seemed to agree. The cavern fell eerily silent save for the hum of plasma weaponry.

The figure was looking directly back at Six, its expression unreadable behind its helmet. After examining Six up and down, it turned and took in the rest of its surroundings. It examined the rest of Noble Team, then the Covenant that stood behind it. The closest alien to it was an elite major, an energy sword primed in its hand. The figure stared at the elite, an action that seemed to shake the alien from its stupor.

Yelling something in Sanghelli, the elite charged and swung the energy sword at the figure. Six watched in awe as the figure responded by preemptively stepping forward and striking the elite in the center of its helmet. The alien's shield failed, and the punch continued through and crashed hard against its skull. The elite's head snapped backward, and the rest of its body went with it, flying backward a few feet before landing in a crumpled heap on the ground.

It did not get up.

The figure had killed the elite with a single blow.

The action reanimated the entire battle field, and the Covenant forces yelled and fired at their new target. As Six ducked back into cover, he saw the figure produce what appeared to be a shotgun from nowhere and run headfirst into a pack of grunts.

"Who the hell is that?" Noble Six heard Emile's voice from his COM.

"Dot, what am I looking at?" Carter asked the AI.

Six heard the calming voice of Noble's A.I. inside his helmet.

"My apologies, Noble leader, this operative does not match any known personnel in the UNSC database. Nor does it match any category of Covenant files."

"What about the armor? Any idea where it's from?"

"Negative, it matches no design schematics for any armor in the ONI database."

"So, we're dealing with a ghost," Emile said.

Jun watched through his sniper scope. "Looks more like a demon to me," he said.

"Whatever he is, he's drawing Covenant fire," Carter said. "Light 'em up Noble."

Six didn't need to be told twice. He targeted the nearest elites and brutes and opened fire. The figure itself had disappeared form Six's view, but he could easily tell where he was, as the Covenant had seemingly forgotten about the Spartans and were frantic to bring down the newcomer.

Noble Six saw a bright plume of light burst forth in the distance. The Wraith. Turning back, Six opened a nearby hard case and pulled out a Spartan Laser, the UNSC's answer to any anti-personnel vehicle the Covenant threw at them.

Hefting the weapon on his shoulder, six looked down the camera sights and focused on the wraith in the distance. Holding down the trigger, Six heard the weapon charge with an electric hiss. A sighting light appeared, and Six trained it directly on the hatch that led to the pilot's seat. The armor was weakest there.

The weapon's hissing grew to a climax, then the weapon kicked, and a bright beam flashed across the battle field and into the Wraith. Six watched through the weapons sights and waited for the smoke to clear. As the black rolled away, Six saw that the shot had penetrated through the pilot's hatch and had hit the vehicle's plasma reactor. The Wraith had exploded into a pile of smoldering wreckage. It was out of commission.

Six then turned his attention to the Banshees in the sky. There were two left, and Six had three charges left on the Spartan Laser. Six took aim at the first Banshee, which was attempting to fire its pulse laser at something he couldn't see. The armored stranger most likely.

The Spartan Laser whirred up again, and Six braced as the weapon fired a red beam into the Banshee, which exploded in a bright purple fireball. Six repeated the process with the second Banshee as well. It was all too easy with them distracted.

As Six scanned the battlefield for remaining hostiles, he saw the figure emerge again from behind one of the rock faces. In one hand he held a struggling Brute by the throat, and the other held the double-barreled shotgun that Six had seen earlier.

As Six watched, the brute tried its best to free itself from the figure's grasp, attempting to peel its fingers away while gasping for breath.

The figure lifted its shotgun beneath the Brute's chin and blew the beast's head apart.

The figure then turned around to face an elite General wielding an energy sword, but the elite's progress was halted as Six blasted it to pieces with the Spartan Laser. The battlefield fell silent.

Six quickly scanned the area for stragglers but found none. They had either fled or were lying face down in the bloodied snow.

Six then looked back to the figure, which was approaching Noble Team, its shotgun still in its hands.

"Dr. Halsey," Carter said. "All Clear."

"Well done, Spartans," Halsey replied over the COM. "I'm opening the laboratory door."

The stranger reached Noble Team, and all four of them warily kept their rifles at the ready.

"Stay where you are," Carter said. The figure came to a halt a few feet away from them.

"Identify."

The figure said nothing.

"I said _identify_ ," Carter said a bit more forcefully. The figure still continued to stare at them.

"Do you speak English? You understand me?"

The figure looked at Carter, then nodded once.

"I don't think we're getting anything out of him, commander," Emile said. "He doesn't strike me as the type to talk."

"We need to know if he's a friendly. If that armor doesn't belong to us, then who does it belong to?"

"Bring that stranger inside with you, Spartan," Halsey's voice came on over the COMs. "I want to see this for myself."

Carter considered the odds for a moment, then nodded to Six.

"Get the door, Six. And you…" Carter gestured to the silent stranger. "You stay where I can see you."

The stranger said nothing, but started toward the door, bumping Carter none-to-kindly on his shoulder as he went by.

"Let's go," Carter said. The three other remaining members of Noble Team all acknowledged and followed their leader inside. Carter remained watchful of the stranger ahead of them, telling him where to go as they made their way through the facility.

Following a few more twists and turns, the five of them eventually arrived in a massive inner chamber. The ceiling rose high into the air and out of sight, and in the center, floated a massive orb glowing with power. The orb itself was constructed of semi-transparent energy, but it twinkled with spots of blue and gold, which appeared to be flowing in and out of it. On the ground sat a multitude of machines, each hooked up to the orb in some way, likely to study it somehow. And working furiously with the machines was Dr. Halsey, as though her ass was on fire.

Six had never seen anything like this in his life. This orb that floated before them was beyond anything human or Covenant that existed. The rest of Noble Team stared upward as well.

Emile was the first to break the silence.

"What is this stuff?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Knowledge," Dr. Halsey said without looking up from her work. "A birthright from an ancient civilization."

"Is it a birthright?" Jun asked. "Or are you meddling with something you cannot control?"

Dr. Halsey ignored the sniper and continued to tap away at the screens. Six thought he saw the stranger nod imperceptibly at Jun's words, but he couldn't be certain.

"This A.I. is its custodian, and she has chosen _you_ as her couriers."

Six only then noticed the A.I. hovering about on a table. She appeared to be sitting inside a miniaturized version of the sphere above, and she glowed a bluish-purple as values and runes cascaded down her body.

"Chosen?" Emile asked. "By an A.I.?"

"By _this_ A.I., yes," Dr. Halsey said, finally sparing a glance in Noble Team's direction. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the stranger, then she turned back to her equipment.

"Her measure of you carries as much weight as my own. Perhaps more," Halsey continued. "You are to take her to the UNSC shipbreaking yard at Aszod. There, you will find a Halcyon-class cruiser waiting to take her off-planet."

"I understand," Carter said.

"Do you?" Dr. Halsey asked.

A moment of silence filled the cavern.

"Mankind is outmatched," Halsey said. "When Reach falls - and it will fall – our annihilation is all but certain."

Six felt a chill run down his spine. He could not bring himself to disagree with the Doctor.

"Unless…" Halsey said. "…we can glean from this artifact a defense against the Covenant. A game-changer. On the level of the conical bullet in the nineteenth century, or faster than light travel in the twenty-third."

"And what if we can't?" Carter asked.

"What if we _can_ , but the cost of doing so is our extinction?!" Jun asked a bit more forcefully than was necessary. This time, Noble Six was almost certain that he saw the stranger grow visibly angry at the possibility. He could only assume that this stranger had seen it happen before.

Dr. Halsey seemed to pause for a moment, Six thought he almost saw something in her eyes.

Sadness?

"Both are apt questions if there were somewhere else to place our hope," Doctor Halsey said. "But there is not."

She sounded almost tired.

Jun said nothing but turned his head and looked around the cavern. The stranger seemed to fix the A.I. with a curious gaze, as though the artificial intelligence was not what he expected. Was he expecting something else? Had he dealt with A.I. before?

Dr. Halsey tapped a button on the terminal the A.I. sat on, and the hologram disappeared. A handle sprung from the machine, and the doctor grabbed a hold of it and pulled. Six watched as Dr. Halsey pulled out a storage canister. The canister walls were made of glass and encased in hard steel, and Noble Six saw a deep blue light in the center which he assumed was the A.I. herself.

Doctor Halsey held the canister in both hands carefully, as though a single breath could shatter the glass. Slowly, she made her way over to Noble Six, who stood by the stranger. Halsey stopped and held the canister out to him.

"Take it Lieutenant," Dr. Halsey said. "She has made her choice."

Noble Six looked over at Carter, who nodded once. He then looked over to the stranger, who looked from the A.I. to him expectantly. Seeing no argument, Noble Six reached out and firmly grasped the canister in both hands.

"Do you have it?" Doctor Halsey asked him.

"Yes."

"Say the words, please."

"I have it," he said. Only then did Dr. Halsey reluctantly let go of the canister. Her gaze lingered over the A.I. a moment more, then she finally turned her attention to the stranger. Her eyes travelled over his form, and Six had no doubt that she was analyzing every aspect of his armor, from the color of the plating to the numbers stamped on the front.

"You are not wearing any armor that I have conceived or even thought of conceiving. I have never heard of you, and you appeared from a portal that was most certainly not slipspace. I saw it all on the cameras. You are not one of my Spartans, and yet you fight with such ferocity and vigor that you may as well be one. Who are you?"

The stranger looked at Halsey for a moment, then looked over at the A.I. that Noble Six held in his hands. He seemed to be considering something.

After a moment, the armored man seemed to come to a decision. Reaching behind himself, he popped something out of his suit. Bringing his hand back around, Noble Six saw that there was some sort of data chip held in his hand. Halsey saw the chip as well, and her eyes widened slightly, and her mouth fell agape. There was no doubt that she was itching to see what was on the drive.

She reached for the chip, but the stranger held its hand back for a moment. Doctor Halsey looked up at him, confusion in her eyes. The silent stranger gestured to the giant orb, then made a crushing motion with his fist. He wanted it destroyed.

"Yes," Halsey said. "This will be buried shortly after our departure, as much as it pains me so. You should even be able to watch if you so choose."

This seemed to satisfy the armored figure, and it held the chip out to Halsey, who took it in both hands.

"What is on this?" she asked, looking back up at the enigmatic individual before her.

The figure pointed to the canister in Noble Six's hands.

Doctor Halsey's eyes widened considerably. She looked as though she was about to burst from excitement.

"You…can't be serious?!" Doctor Halsey had always kept her composure in the past, but Noble Six thought he just might see her break at the possible contents of the chip.

"Doctor, we don't have time for this," Carter interjected. "We have to evac, now."

Doctor Halsey took a brief moment to compose herself, then nodded.

"Then I suggest we move, Commander."

…

The small group arrived outside the facility, right at the edge of the Pelican hangar. Two Pelicans awaited them.

"Doctor Halsey," Carter said, turning to face her. "Noble Three will escort you to CASTLE Base."

Halsey gave him a look.

"I require no escort, Commander," she said.

Carter ignored her.

"Jun, make sure _nothing_ falls into enemy hands," Carter said, now looking at his teammate.

"I'll do what's necessary, sir…" Jun said knowingly. Noble Six hoped that Jun would not have to keep that promise he had just made.

"Good luck," Jun added sincerely.

"You too, rifleman."

Carter then turned to the stranger.

"If you're as good as you seem, then you're with us. We'll need all the firepower we can get on this one. As of right now, you're Noble Seven, got it?"

The figure nodded once.

"Welcome to Noble," Emile said. There was a hint of melancholy in his voice.

With that, the group split. Jun accompanied Doctor Halsey aboard one Pelican, and the stranger followed Six, Emile, and Carter aboard the second one. Six now had the A.I.'s canister strapped securely to the small of his back. It wasn't going anywhere. He followed the other three into the bowels of the Pelican.

Six watched as Carter made his way to the front of the craft.

"I need a heading, Dot," the Noble Leader said over his COM.

"At three kilometers north, turn right heading 050," the A.I. said into each of their COMs.

"Which leads to…?" Carter asked, simultaneously firing up the engines.

"The shipbreaking yards in Aszod," Dot replied calmly. "The only off-planet extraction point left on this continent. Small scale air attacks have decimated many convoys en route. An armada of Covenant Cruisers is hastening to the site as well. UNSC cruiser _Pillar of Autumn_ is awaiting your arrival."

"Wouldn't be a Noble mission if it were easy," Carter said from the cockpit. The Pelican lifted off the deck and up in the air. Gaining speed and altitude by the second.

Six glanced over to the stranger, now Noble Seven, who was hearing Dot's voice for the first time. They had discovered that their COM channels were linked to his suit as well, effectively including him in each conversation. Upon observing his reaction to Dot, Six noticed no change in the stranger's posture. In fact, he only seemed more relaxed. It was almost like he was used to having an A.I. in his head.

The figure then watched out the bay door of the Pelican as the site detonated and buried itself and the artifact with it. He seemed satisfied.

…

 **Aszod, Eposz August 30, 2552 16:52 Hours**

"Noble leader, seek immediate medical attention," Dot urged inside Six's head.

No reply came from the cockpit.

"Noble leader, please respond," Dot urged yet again. Six made his way to the front of the ship, but a burst of plasma fire flew through the open bay doors and the ship lurched as a result.

Noble Six glanced back just in time to see Emile fire an EMP round at the encroaching Banshees.

The round caught the Banshee, and its systems immediately ceased, causing it to crash into its partner. A third Banshee moved in closer, but the stranger fired a blast from his gauss cannon, blasting the vehicle apart like tin foil.

The weapon itself was a miniature MAC cannon, the likes of what Six desperately wanted to try out. But now wasn't the time.

"Sierra 259, you are alarming me," Dot's voice almost sounded worried.

Noble Six turned back to the cockpit just in time to see Carter throw his helmet to the ground. He was still in the pilot's seat, but he was struggling against the controls. The Pelican was resisting him at every turn.

"Not sure how long she's gonna stay together!" Carter called out. His blood was all over the windshield of the Pelican, the controls, his own armor…

"Skies are jammed up anyway. Gotta get you off her, Lieutenant," Carter said.

Six grasped the back of the pilot's seat.

"Sir," he started. "You-?"

"Don't wanna hear it," Carter said bluntly, not taking his eyes of the airspace. "Get the package to the _Autumn_."

Six was silent for a moment, then he nodded once in determination.

"Done," he said.

"Not yet, it's not…" Carter said. He turned in his seat and called back to Emile and the stranger. Both of which were still at the rear of the ship.

"You two, go with him! It's a ground game now."

The two of them turned to face the Commander.

"It's been an honor, sir," Emile said, pounding his chest in salute.

The stranger said nothing but nodded its head once in respect.

"Likewise," Carter called back.

Carter turned back and spoke directly to Six.

"I'll do what I can to draw their fire."

Six nodded and turned to prepare to jump.

"Six!" Carter called once more. The spartan turned and looked back to the cockpit to hear his Commander's words.

"That A.I. chose you…She made the right choice." His voice was hoarse from the blood.

Noble Six nodded to his leader, then turned and hightailed it back to the rear of the Pelican, where Noble Seven and Emile both waited.

Six removed the A.I. from its position on his back and grasped the canister tightly in both hands. He crouched down and prepared for the jump, facing toward the front of the Pelican. The other two did the same.

"On my mark," Carter said from the front, holding up three fingers. The three armored warriors waited expectantly.

Carter's fingers counted down.

3…

2…

1…

"Mark!"

Six jumped backward into open air.

At first, his stomach dropped with the sudden decrease of gravity, then he felt the wind being forced from his lungs as he made contact with the side of a hill. He held the canister tightly against himself as he slid down the hill, tensing hard until he came to a complete stop.

Noble Six waited for half a second when he stopped moving, then looked over at Emile, who had landed next to him. The stranger had landed not much further away. Both were picking themselves up from the ground, and Emile's shields had been completely depleted from the impact. Noble Seven's armor apparently had no shields, but neither of them seemed to be injured.

Six then glanced upward to see the Pelican scream past above them. One of its engines was on fire, and two Banshees trailed close behind it.

Six then picked himself up and checked the canister in his hands. Examination showed no outer damage at all, and the blue core inside still glowed brightly. Satisfied, Six secured the A.I. on the small of his back and drew his rifle.

He nodded once to Emile and then once to the armored stranger.

"Let's move," Emile said, taking point. Six and Seven followed closely behind. They had landed in a small crevice, leaving only one direction to go since up wasn't an option. The three of them followed the ravine until it opened up to a hill overlooking an even bigger canyon.

Noble Six spied the Pelican in the distance.

"Still with us, Commander?" Emile asked over the COM.

"Stay low," Carter's voice answered inside Six's helmet. "Let me draw the heat. Just deliver that package." Six winked his acknowledgement light in reply.

"There's our destination, Noble," Emile said, gesturing toward a massive structure in the distance. Six recognized it as a UNSC cruiser with his superior eyesight.

"The _Pillar of Autumn_ …" Emile said. "Race you to her."

Noble Seven nudged Emilie and pointed to a pair of mongooses parked not far away. Only a small Covenant force stood between them.

"We got transport," Emile announced, before jumping down the cliff and engaging the Covenant at the bottom of the crevice.

Noble Six and Seven immediately followed after him, systemically killing every alien that stood in their way.

As they carved their way through the aliens, Six quickly learned that Noble Seven was somehow capable of holding more than the two weapons that his own Mark V could account for. Instead of switching weapons by placing one on his back, the weapon almost seemed to disappear, and another weapon took its place from the same thin air. It was a nifty trick, and certainly one that Noble Seven put to good use.

Another thing Six noticed is that while Emile and himself were more than capable of cutting a hole through these Covenant forces, Noble Seven seemed almost overqualified for the task.

Unlike Jun, who always had the mantra: "I kill the enemy, but do not hate them", Noble Seven seemed to truly loathe the Covenant. It was evident in his methods and amplified by his indestructibility.

He would charge straight into a mass of Covenant troops and empty his magazine into anything that moved. And when the magazine was empty, the gun was exchanged for another weapon, whether that was another firearm, a piece of metal, or his own fists.

At one point, Noble Seven produced a chainsaw and sawed a brute in half from its shoulder to its opposite hip. Dark purpled blood sprayed the Covenant around him as he halved the creature, and many grunts and jackals turned and fled at the gore they had just witnessed. Even a few elites took a fearful step backward. Six couldn't blame them. No matter what they threw at this nigh-mythical, figure he did not seem to go down. He didn't even appear to _slow_ down.

"Save some of E.T. for me, Seven!" Emile shouted, brandishing his shotgun. Noble Seven's actions invigorated the close-range spartan, and Six too found himself growing more and more confident by watching the relentlessness of the newest member of Noble Team.

Soon enough, they had cleared out the Covenant presence and had reached the Mongooses.

"Let's mount up, Noble," Emile said. Six acknowledged and climbed on one of the Mongooses. He wasted no time starting it up. Emile jumped on the back.

"Noble Seven, grab a mongoose," Emile ordered. Seven looked at the mongoose then shook his head before breaking into a run down the road towards the _Autumn_. Six realized with a start that Noble Seven was running faster than any Spartan – let alone human - he had ever seen. He was running even close to what Six estimated to be this mongoose's top speed.

"No way…" Emilie asked as he watched the figure run. But Six heard him shake his head.

"Well, get after him, Six! He's leaving us in the dust!"

Six needed no more encouragement. He revved the engine and peeled off full throttle down the road toward Noble Seven, who was already almost a quarter kilometer away from them.

Six gunned the engine as they rounded the bend. Slowly, they caught back up to Noble Seven who turned to them and gestured to the road ahead.

Six glanced further ahead to see that the road crossed over a drop in the rock face via a bridge, but Six quickly saw what Noble Seven was gesturing to.

The bridge had been destroyed, most likely due to plasma blasts, as the metal twisted and melted in the middle, leaving a massive gap between its ends. Examining the situation as they approached, Six saw that the remains of the bridge on the bear side were bent in an upward shape. It almost appeared as a ramp.

"Put your hands up, Six. We're gonna have to jump it!" Emile yelled from behind him. He then turned to Noble Seven running alongside them.

"You got that jump, Seven?"

The figure put on a burst of speed in response, pulling ahead of the mongoose. Six braced himself and gave the mongoose all the throttle he could. The vehicle followed the curve up, and suddenly Six felt weightlessness again. The mongoose sailed through the air, and Six turned to see that Noble Seven had jumped from the concrete and over the abyss with them.

Six brought his attention back in front of him to see the concrete on the other side of the bridge rising up to meet him and braced for impact. The mongoose crashed hard, and Six felt and heard the chassis grind into the concrete beneath him before rising back up over the road.

The had made it.

"Noble," Carter's voice sounded inside Six's helmet. "Enemy forces blocking the road ahead."

Six immediately slammed on the brakes and the mongoose's tires squealed to a halt on the pavement. There was a deep grinding noise as Noble Seven ground to a halt next to him.

"Roger, sir. Looks like we're on foot, Noble," Emile said as he hopped off the back.

Six followed his lead. Checking the A.I. canister once more, he readied his weapon as a Covenant battle group approached from the road ahead. A standard twenty-five-man battle group. Mostly grunts and jackals with a few elites and brutes as well.

Nothing they couldn't handle.

"Got a Wraith! Southeast side!" Emile yelled warningly. Six confirmed his warning with a quick glance further down the road. That might be a problem.

"Get to cover!"

Six dove behind the nearest rock formation as the Wraith fired. A bright blast of plasma arced through the air and exploded where Six had just been standing, scorching the dirt and rock and rattling Six to the bone. Six immediately spotted Emile behind another rock face, quickly poking out and firing once before falling back into cover.

Six knew he had to move again before that Wraith locked in on his position. Wait, where was Noble Seven?

Six peeked out of his cover when he heard the Covenant personnel yelling in mixed cries of agony and surprise.

Noble Seven had charged straight at the Wraith, forgoing cover and personal safety for a direct shot at the vehicle. Anything that stood in his way had either been killed or destroyed, and the Covenant that had not been in the line of fire were struggling to regroup.

The Wraith itself saw the figure closing the distance, and it began hovering backwards at top speed, and Six saw the heavy plasma cannon on the back charge with energy. It intended to fire directly at Noble Seven before it reached the vehicle, but it was too late.

Noble Seven jumped forward and landed right on top of the Covenant tank. At the same time, the Wraith fired its main cannon. Noble Seven had been standing directly in front of it.

There was an ear-splitting boom, and a blinding light engulfed Noble Seven and the large Covenant vehicle. Six's visor adjusted immediately to the large photon input and dimmed the light down, but Six could still feel the heat of the blast. Covenant forces held up their arms and shields to protect themselves as well, but some of the unfortunately close ones had been engulfed by the blast as well, while others had been blown backwards by the shockwave.

The light faded down, and Six saw the remains of the Wraith. The armor on the front had been completely melted away, and whatever layer of circuitry that the Wraith had on the inside had been burned to a crisp. The cannon on the back had been vaporized, and the husk itself burned with a purple plasma fire.

The Covenant around the Wraith stared in awe for a moment, then Noble Seven burst from the charred wreckage, completely unharmed and with his shotgun in hand. Without hesitation, Noble Seven began thoroughly tearing through the alien force with extreme prejudice. Six and Emile immediately recovered, and joined in on the slaughter, pushing the surprised force back and eliminating them with efficiency.

Six finally finished off the last grunt with his combat knife, driving the blade deep into the smaller alien's neck. The trio quickly regrouped and broke into an easy run down the road, the canyon walls rose up again around them.

As they approached the next opening, Six heard Carter's voice again on the COM.

"Noble, you've got a…situation," his voice sounded apprehensive. Six immediately scanned the horizon for threats, but the subject of Carter's worry rounded the corner, showing itself immediately.

It was a Covenant Scarab.

"Mother fu…" Emile trailed off as the Scarab came into view. Six understood his reaction all too well. The Scarab was arguably the largest Covenant vehicle capable of ground combat. In addition to its massive size and durability, it was also capable of extreme maneuverability, making it one of the most feared forces to face. And it was looking right at them.

"We can get past it, sir," Emile said glancing sidelong at Noble Seven. His voice carried an air of uncertainty.

"No, you can't," Carter said. "Not without help."

"Commander!" Emile protested. "You don't have the firepower!"

There was a moment of silence on the COM, then Six saw the Pelican roar into view. It was a miracle it was still capable of flight, but Six watched as it zoomed past the Scarab before coming back around in a wide turn.

"I've got the mass," Carter said. He sounded resigned.

The Pelican came out of its turn directly on course with the Scarab. Six immediately understood Carter's plan. Emile saw it too.

"Solid copy," Emile said. "Hit 'em hard, boss."

"You're on your own, Noble," Carter said, firing the Pelican's chain gun as he closed the distance.

"Carter out."

The Pelican rammed the Scarab at full speed. The Scarab fell to the side against the momentum, and a massive explosion rocked the metal behemoth. The Scarab wobbled for a moment on its four legs, then a series of smaller explosions resounded throughout its massive form, and the Scarab toppled onto its side and fell into the canyon below. It was gone.

"Crevice to the East," Emile said. His voice was bitter. "Let's go."

Spartans were taught to never let their emotions show, but Six solemnly winked his acknowledgment light one last time. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Noble Seven. His grip was tight on his weapon and his shoulders were hunched in a gesture that Six could easily recognize as rage.

The remainder of Noble Team encountered minimal resistance on the rest of the run to the shipbreaking yards. When they arrived, Six saw that the facility itself was enormous, as he assumed it would be. This installation was capable of holding _Punic_ -class carriers, one of the largest ships in UNSC history, so it made sense that it be as massive as it was. The jog to the drydock were the _Autumn_ was located would be considerable.

Noble Six heard a new voice inside his HUD, one he had not heard before.

"This is Captain Keyes of The _Pillar of Autumn_. We are tracking you, Noble, and we've began our launch sequence. Proceed to Drydock: Platform D. I'll be there myself to receive the package."

"We'll be there, sir," Emile responded.

"Better be, soldier," Keyes's voice returned. "My countdown has no abort."

As Noble Team crested the hill to the yards below, the sight of a few dozen marines fighting the Covenant greeted them.

Without a word, the three armored heros leapt immediately down to assist.

"Spartans!" one of the marines said as they ran to the group. Six guessed him to be the squad leader. "Drydock is through that structure. If you can punch through, we'll back you up!"

"Roger. Take point, Noble Seven!" Emile shouted.

The unnamed stranger seemed only to eager to comply. He loaded his shotgun with malicious intent.

In no time at all, the trio pushed through the Covenant defenses and into the Drydock portion of the facility. As they sprinted to Platform D, Six noticed that a group of marines was already there and waiting.

"What's the situation?" Emile asked as they ran up to the fellow humans.

"We rigged a mass driver up top," the sergeant said, pointing. Six looked up and saw the massive gun already spinning up to fire. "We lose that…the Autumn has no covering fire. She'll never make orbit."

Emile nodded once to the marine.

"Noble to Keyes. We're at the pad," Emile said broadcasting to the Autumn.

"Copy, Noble," Keyes voice said back. "My Pelican is ready. Clear an LZ. We'll meet you there."

"Will do, sir," Emile acknowledged before switching to their local channel.

"Alright Noble," Emile said. "This is it. I'll man the big gun. You two just get to the platform and deliver that package."

"Roger," Six said, jumping down to the landing space. Noble Seven dropped down next to him. Emile nodded and ran up to the cannon.

Almost immediately, Covenant drop pods rained down on the platform. Phantoms appeared on the horizon as well, making course directly for the platform.

"Hold him off until Keyes gets here!" Emile yelled. Six heard the MAC cannon whirr to life behind him and glanced up as the cannon bucked and spewed a massive round of hot metal directly through an approaching phantom. The round penetrated through the length of it, and the dropship lurched to the side and plummeted down. The threat had been neutralized.

Six immediately focused back on the drop pods, using the cramped quarters to funnel any Covenant that appeared into a single line of fire. He heard the blast of Noble Seven's shotgun fire close by, and that noise alone gave him comfort.

Soon enough, the skies and platform were clear of all Covenant forces. Just in time too, as Six saw two Pelicans approaching form the _Autumn_ 's massive bulk. Six jogged up to the landing pad as Keyes's voice sounding in his helmet again.

"This is Keyes, on hot approach to Platform Delta."

The first Pelican turned around, opening its bay doors. The escort Pelican hovered nearby. Marines poured out and set up a defensive circle, and Six watched as Captain Keyes himself stepped out of the bird. Noble Seven stepped onto the platform behind him. Keyes jogged briskly over to the duo. Six grabbed the canister and held it out as Keyes approached.

"Good to see you, Spartans," Keyes said after sparing a glance at Noble Seven. He grasped the canister in both hands. "Halsey assured me I could count on you."

"Not just us, sir," Six said wearily. Keyes reached out and touched his arm reassuringly.

"They will be remembered," he said.

Keyes turned back to the Pelican, but his eye caught something on the horizon. Six followed his gaze and saw nothing good.

"Covenant Cruiser!" Keyes yelled, speaking onto his COM. "Adjusting course for the _Autumn_!"

Keyes was right, a Covenant cruiser was making a beeline for their position.

"Noble four," Keyes continued. "I need fire on that Cruiser or we aren't getting out of here! Do you copy?"

"I'll have your window, sir," Emile's voice came over the COM.

Keyes nodded towards the cannon before hastily boarding the Pelican.

"Bridge, this is the Captain. We have the package. Returning to the _Autumn_. Over."

No sooner had he spoke than did a Phantom suddenly appear from around the corner and rain fire down on the Pelican escort. The Pelican's metal hull buckled under the heavy plasma and went down hard on the platform.

Six and Seven both dove out of the way as the metal screeched by.

Immediately looking up, Six saw that the Phantom had moved over to the MAC cannon. Zealot class elites jumped down onto the gun, energy swords in their hands.

The first one to reach the cockpit was immediately blasted backward by Emile's shotgun. The elite fell down to the ground, wounded but alive. Emile pulled himself from the cockpit and finished the job with another blast. The elite fell still.

"Who's next?!" Emile shouted in rage. Without warning, the second elite jumped up behind him and impaled him through the back with his energy sword.

Emile grunted in pain but managed to twist around to face the elite. His knife was in his hand.

"I'm ready!" he cried out, burying his knife into the elite's neck. "How 'bout you?!"

With a heave, he pulled the elite to the ground and out of sight. Six heard on last grunt of pain, then his COM went dead.

Keyes's Pelican approached the Platform again.

"Spartans!" One of the marines aboard barked. "Get aboard! We gotta get the hell out of here!"

"Negative," Six said numbly. "We have the gun." He glanced sidelong at Noble Seven, who nodded once. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Good luck, sir," Six said to Keyes before turning and sprinting up to the cannon. Noble Seven ran beside him.

Keyes watched the two of them as they hightailed it to their station.

"Good luck to you, Spartans," Keyes murmured. There was a fine level of respect in his voice. The Pelican engines grew louder, and the aircraft pulled away as Six and Seven reached the MAC cannon. They paused a moment at the top, gazing over to where Emile lay among the bodies of the elites. His knife was still in his hand. Six allowed a brief moment of silence before turning to Noble Seven.

"I'll clear the skies. You got my back?"

The stranger nodded once without hesitation. That simple nod filled Six with all the courage he'd ever need. Even though he had met this man not but a few hours ago, Six somehow knew that he would stand beside him until the very end. That was what he had been missing during all his time spent as a lone wolf. God, did it feel good.

Without another word, Six climbed the ladder and dropped into the cockpit of the MAC cannon. Noble Seven immediately drew out another weapon and took up a defensive position next to the gun.

"Noble Six," Keyes's voice said. "That Cruiser is moving into position, I need it dead."

"Roger," Six said before taking aim at the Cruiser's midsection. He squeezed the trigger and felt the capacitors wind up to a deafening volume before firing the round directly into the Cruiser's shields. The shields themselves rippled at the impact, but the ripple faded quickly. The ship remained undamaged.

Six quickly initiated the reload sequence. He vaguely heard the sounds of plasma weaponry around him, but he also heard the sounds of rifle fire as well, meaning that Noble Seven and the marines were still fighting. So too would he.

Charing the capacitors again, Noble Six felt the weapon buck again as it fired another round directly into the Cruiser's midsection. The shields rippled again and settled. The ship had again sustained no damage.

"Damnit!" Keyes's voice came over the radio. "The mass driver can't crack those shields. Look for an opening, Noble Six!"

Six didn't even have time to respond before the Cruiser's shield peeled back over the middle of its underbelly, right where its massive energy projector weapon was located.

It began to glow with red plasma. They were going to glass the station.

"Fire now Lieutenant!" Keyes barked into the COM. "Hit her in the gut!"

The mass driver had already fired. Six had aimed directly into the center of the glowing plasma, and right as the round hit, the center of the Cruiser burst, tearing the giant ship in two.

"Good guns, Spartan!" Keyes said. "All stations brace for cast off."

Six climbed down from the driver as the _Autumn_ 's engines roared to life. The ship slowly hovered into the air, drifting away from the dock a short distance before fully activating its thrusters and propelling itself into the atmosphere.

Six watched Noble Seven kick one last grunt over the edge before turning to watch the ship's departure.

"This is the _Pillar of Autumn_ ," Keyes's voice said. The signal was weak as the ship grew farther away. "We are away, and the package is with us."

With that, the _Pillar of Autumn_ disappeared into the sky.

…

 **Planet Reach, August 30, 2552 20:00 Hours**

Noble Six stood on top of the hillside and watched as Banshees and Phantoms filled the sky. Noble Seven stood next to him. Six supposed it was a bit ironic: The last two additions to Noble Team were also the last two alive. He supposed someone could find a joke somewhere in that.

Six was roused from his thoughts as a Covenant patrol spotted them in the distance. A grunt yelled loudly and pointed, and the elite field commander began speaking rapidly into its COM. Noble Six drew his DMR.

"Looks like the Doctor was right," he said mournfully.

Noble Seven said nothing.

"Reach is lost, but we're still here. What do you say we finish this fight?"

Noble Seven looked over at him and cocked his shotgun in response.

"That's what I like to hear."

…

The battle raged on for hours, and the Covenant just kept coming. Nobles Six and Seven worked flawlessly together, like two cogs in a machine. One would reload while the other covered his back, yet neither spoke a word. For every elite they brought down, two more took its place. For every Ghost they destroyed, another Wraith would appear on the horizon. Seven's armor was indestructible, and he seemed to realize that Six's was quite the opposite, so at one point, the fearless warrior shielded Six with his own body against the tide of plasma and needles. The system worked for a while, but eventually, the two of them were completely surrounded.

Soon, firearms were forgotten as the duo engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. They had forced themselves behind a choke point, so that only a few Covenant could attack at a time. Six was capable of handling one or two elites at a time, but Noble Seven stood against at least eight or nine attackers at all times and seemed to have no problem disposing of them in a bloody scourge.

Six felt as though this was a stable solution until a Wraith's plasma round struck the ground right in front of them.

Noble Six's vision went bright white, and he felt the sensation of tumbling end over end until he hit the ground hard. His shields were gone, and his helmet was cracked in so many places that he could not see out of it.

With a grunt, he pulled the helmet from his head and discarded it. It was useless now. His vison was still a bit blurry, but he saw Noble Seven run up to him. Six took him in, his armor was still undamaged, and he seemed in no way hurt at all by the massive plasma blast that he had just taken at point blank range.

Six then realized just how much he himself was holding Noble Seven back. Had Six not been there, this juggernaut would not be constrained by the increasingly burdening task of protecting the Spartan. Six chuckled inwardly at the irony. For once, the Spartan was the _weak_ link.

"Go ahead," Six said, picking up his DMR from the ground. "I'll hold this position as long as I can."

Noble Seven said nothing, but Six knew that they both were on the same page. Noble Seven stood silently for a moment, plasma bolts raining all around them, then raised his arm to his chest, saluting the final Spartan of Noble Team.

Six nodded once, then gestured for Noble Seven to go on and leave him be.

Noble Seven nodded to him one last time, then turned and ran headfirst into the Covenant horde.

Six watched him for a moment, then whirled around at the hum of an energy sword behind him. He ducked just in time as an elite swung the weapon over his head, then he lashed out with his elbow, catching the elite in the jaw. The alien roared in pain and stumbled back, giving Six enough time to fire a half magazine of rifle rounds into its chest, killing it. Six had barely enough time to turn again before another elite tackled him to the ground. The elite summoned a small energy sword to its wrist and attempted to stab at him, but Six kicked the monster off him with a heavy boot. The elite stumbled away, and another elite zealot appeared to his right with another energy sword, preparing to strike.

With no time to get up, Six reached out and punched the elite in the face before it could get to him. This stunned the elite for a moment, and Six desperately tried to stand before he saw the first elite plunge its smalle energy sword towards his face. His eyes barely registered the sight before the world went dark.

…

The Doom Slayer heard Noble Six die behind him as he ripped a grunt's head from its body. He could feel it in his bones. It coursed through his very being, and quickly turned into white-hot rage that boiled over in an uncontrollable torrent.

Within seconds, the Doom Slayer was upon the scene, slaughtering the elites that stood over Noble Six's body in the time it took to blink. His weapon was forgotten as his vision turned blood-red.

No Covenant forces within a five-kilometer radius survived the ensuing carnage. In fact, not much of anything survived. Each body was ripped to shreds, each vehicle bent into unrecognizable shapes, each weapon mangled beyond use…

He wasn't just rage, or brutality, or mercilessness, he was far worse. He was the void, and everything was erased within his wake.

When the dust cleared, a single Banshee flew from the scene. It set a straight course to a Covenant Cruiser in the distance, and as the Banshee drew nearer, so too did deliverance…

…

A single elite major walked with purpose through the halls of the Capital Ship. Unfortunately, he had been chosen to bear the bad news to the Fleet Supreme Commander, an act which dishonored him greatly. The major would have much rather given the task to an Unggoy or Kig-Yar, but news of this magnitude necessitated someone of higher rank. And so here he was.

Walking through a larger door than the others, the elite immediately saluted as soon as he entered the room to the chair located in the center.

"Supreme Commander, another cruiser has been destroyed…that is…five now."

The elite sitting in the chair clenched his fists angrily before speaking.

"It was my understanding that the fifth ship was to be destroyed without an attempt to board."

"Yes, Supreme Commander," the major said, doing his best not to bow his head before the Supreme Commander. To avert his gaze was to dishonor him. He continued.

"No attempts were made to board the ship, it was simply destroyed by our cannon fire."

"Were any transmissions recovered from the ships before their destruction?" the Supreme Commander asked.

"Yes," the major replied, glad to at least have a bit of good news.

"On screen," the Commander ordered. A holographic screen came to life across from him at his command, and a video feed began to play. An unggoy's face filled the screen.

"Help! Heeelp!" the small alien screamed at the camera. "Enemy has boarded ship! He kill all crew! Even big brutes are dead! AAAAAAGH!"

The grunt ran out of the camera frame, showing a long stretch of hallway behind him. In the hallway stood a figure in dark green armor that the Supreme Commander recognized as human. However, this human struck the Commander as something extraordinary. The figure fired a human projectile weapon at something off-screen, likely the grunt, as it immediately fell silent.

The human then approached the camera from the hallway, stopping right in front of it and staring into the lens.

Up close, the Supreme Commander could see more distinctive features. The armor that the human donned covered him from head to toe, and its helmet had a visor that completely concealed its face.

The figure then drew its fist back and brought it forward into the camera. The screen went dark.

"That is all of the transmission, Supreme Commander," the major said.

The Supreme Commander thought for a moment, then spoke again.

"This came from the fifth ship? The one that was destroyed?"

"Yes, Supreme Commander," the major confirmed.

"Very well. Bring our ships closer to the sacred ring, we must vacate the area immediately lest it still lives.

"Yes, Sir!" the major saluted once more before hastily leaving the chamber, leaving the Supreme Commander alone with his thoughts.

The Supreme Commander was at a loss. No human they had ever encountered had the capacity to destroy five ships. He had heard reports of teams of specialized humans taking down _one_ , but not reports of a single human destroying _five_. The Supreme Commander concluded a truth from that evidence.

No ordinary human that had done this, this was the work of a _demon_.

Hopefully, his decision to destroy the fifth ship with the demon aboard had killed it, or at the very least had stranded it in space. The _Fleet of Particular Justice_ could not afford any more losses.

With a shake of his head, the Supreme Commander pulled himself from thoughts of this demon. He had other matters to focus on.

Pulling up another view screen, the Supreme Commander observed their approach to the sacred ring with interest. He was scanning specifically for the _Pillar of Autumn_ …

 _A/N: Whew! That was the longest single chapter I have ever written, but boy was it worth it. I decided to pick Reach because it gave the Slayer plenty of Covenant to throw himself at, but I know exactly what you guys are thinking: 'What about the flood? Why can't you make him meet Master Chief?' Well...I didn't want to say anything, but I have been maybe toying with the aspect of having our beloved Slayer somehow end back up in the Halo universe, but we will just have to wait and see won't we? Until next time!_


	11. Interlude

Chapter 10.5

Ash burped loudly and tossed his beer can out of the window as the Delta rolled down the highway. Kelly made a disgusted face from the passenger seat.

"How you are supposed to be this heroic 'Jefe' is beyond me," Kelly said, shaking her head.

"Well, you know what they say, Kelly," Ash exclaimed nonchalantly with one hand on the wheel of the Delta. "You don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"I have absolutely no idea how that is supposed to apply here," Kelly said with a roll of her eyes.

"That's 'cause you ain't the Jefe, _chica_ ," Ash said as he turned to Pablo in the back seat.

"Yo, Pablo," he said. "How about passing me another one of those beers?"

Pablo looked a bit uncertain.

"Not so sure that's a good idea, Jefe. You're already three beers in, and we are still a few hours away, so maybe you oughta pace yourself…"

"Hey now," Ash cut in. "Ain't nobody knows more about alcohol tolerance than yours truly."

Ash gestured to himself with his robotic hand that Pablo had made for him.

"In fact," he continued. "I basically wrote the book on the art of sobering up. Wouldn't've graduated high school if I didn't master that fine art."

Kelly rolled her eyes for the second time.

Pablo shook his head. "I guess if you say so Jefe…"

Pablo reached into Ash's duffel bag and began rummaging around, attempting to find the cool can of alcohol. His fingers brushed against some plastic, piquing his curiosity. Slowly, Pablo pulled out the item.

It was a Ziploc bag, and through the clear plastic, Pablo could see several burnt pieces of metal and a folded sheet of paper inside.

"Hey Jefe," Pablo asked with a frown. "What's this?"

Ash twisted in his seat and saw the bag in Pablo's hand.

"Be careful with that," Ash said, surprising Pablo with his sudden seriousness. He pointed at Pablo to emphasize his point.

Pablo was taken aback.

"Why? Wha-what is it?" he asked warily.

"It's a last resort. Ya know, just in case things get out of hand, or you're up against impossible odds."

Kelly smirked.

"What?" she asked. "Big bad Ash can't handle everything?"

"Oh ha. Ha. Ha," Ash said sarcastically, looking over at her. "I know it may be hard to believe, Kelly, but there a few things out there that are bigger than even me. And that there…" he pointed to the bag of shrapnel. "…is something you do not take lightly. If you ever have to use that bag, then you are in deep deep DEEP shit."

"Ok, ok, I get it!" Kelly said throwing her hands up. "Don't use the bag unless absolutely necessary."

Pablo suddenly didn't want to hold the bag anymore, and he quickly put it back into Ash's bag before reaching for the beer. Hopefully, he would never need to use it.


	12. Jack Reacher

Chapter 11

 _A/N: Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas to all! Happy Holidays! I hope everyone has been having an excellent holiday season! I've got a brand new chapter in my gift bag here. This time, the Doom Slayer is coming to town with "Jack Reacher". Now, I know it isn't a christmas-y kind of genre, but I thought it would fit nicely anyway. I thought very hard about doing a chapter about the movie "Krampus", but there were a few obstacles that I just could not get around. Either way, I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to tell me your feelings of love/hate by leaving a review! Remember that I don't own anything!_

Jack Reacher looked out the window at the snow-covered landscape. He had never been a fan of the cold, which is why he always preferred to spend his winters somewhere south, closer to the equator. 'Prefer' was putting it mildly, as it was one of the few things that really annoyed Reacher about the seasons changing. As a result, Reacher made a point of making his way south each year to find warmer weather.

An observer of his migratory habits might have called him a pussy, but the way Reacher saw it, if you had the luxury of choosing, why waste it? He could also care less what some average joe thought of him.

Unfortunately for Reacher, his migration had been held up by events beyond his control. One thing after another had seemed to slow him up, and now, Reacher was stuck in Missouri on Christmas Eve. A region not as far south as he would've liked, as heavy snow blanketed the landscape and below-freezing temperatures seeped into every man-made structure around.

Reacher stepped out of the truck and waved once to the driver inside. The driver acknowledged with a nod of his head and drove away, the smell of exhaust stayed behind. Reacher watched the shape of the vehicle for a few moments, then turned and examined his surroundings.

The town he stood in was called Devil's Drop, or so the truck driver had told him. The guy had been a social worker with a main office based in St. Louis, and he was making a trip down to Cassville to deal with a client, which meant that he had to be going a little under 4 hours' worth of driving in Reacher's desired direction.

The driver was the owner of a bright-red Ford Focus, one of the newer models designed for a workaholic with no kids. Sleek and compact, and therefore perfect for a guy like him, but not for a guy like Reacher. He had cranked the passenger seat as far back as it would go for leg room. Despite that, the ride had been smooth and comfortable, and Reacher had swapped pleasant conversation with the guy as the bright lights of the city disappeared behind them. When the guy told Reacher where he would be stopping, Reacher had inquired about the name.

"Why is it called Devil's Drop?" Reacher had asked.

The guy chuckled.

"Dunno, maybe you oughta ask one of the locals. I'm sure it's a hell of a story."

Maybe it _was_ a hell of a story, but then again, maybe it wasn't. Reacher had seen it work out either way before. From great stories of pioneers fending off devilish Natives in the early 19th century to a kid dropping a cake in the street could have explained the name.

Taking a look around, Reacher noticed that he stood in what appeared to be the center of town. The town square, in fact. The street lamps and buildings were all studded with Christmas decorations. Tiny bulbs of red and green glowed proudly against the setting sun, quickly replacing the star as the main source of light.

A park sat across the brick-laid street from Reacher, the trees and grass and benches all covered with pure-white snow. On the other side of the park stood the town hall. It was an old building with a style that reminded Reacher of something the Ancient Greeks had worshiped their gods in, but he doubted that the building he was looking at was served that purpose.

On Reacher's left stood a few shops for clothing, electronics, spare parts, etc. They all looked like they were about to close, but he saw a few stragglers still browsing through the windows. Perhaps they needed a few last-minute gifts for friends loved ones. It was Christmas Eve, after all.

Reacher then turned his gaze to his right and saw something far more his speed.

It was a book store, but it appeared to be a combination of a book store and a diner. Must have been some guy's way of revolutionizing the book-buying process. Reacher could picture a thousand dopey slogans to go along with it.

Reacher liked books as much as the next guy, but the diner portion of it is what caught his attention. Diners were designed to be welcoming. After all, they offered food, warmth, and coffee. All of which Reacher was in need of at the moment. The coffee being the top of the list.

A cold breeze blew through the light jacket that Reacher wore, prompting him to cross the street quickly and enter through the diner/bookstore's main door. As he stepped inside, the immediate warmth of the building covered him, making him already feel much better. Taking a look around, Reacher saw that the diner itself occupied a small portion of the building, with the bookstore holding most of the ground. Therefore, the diner seemed slightly cramped as the bookstore portion encroached on its territory, but there was only one other patron, and Reacher smelled coffee, so he took a seat in the back, facing the front door. His favorite place to sit in a diner.

A waitress glided over to his table, all smiles and cheer. She wore a nametag with glowing Christmas lights on it, and she beamed down at Reacher as he ordered coffee. She could have been in a Hallmark movie.

The waitress left and immediately returned with a mug and a pot of coffee. She filled the mug, and then took Reacher's dinner order. They had a Christmas ham special on the menu, and Reacher ordered it as well as a cheese burger. The waitress nodded, not bothering to write down his order since he was one of two other patrons in the diner.

After the waitress glided away, Reacher took a sip from the steaming mug. It wasn't half-bad. Strong, but not _too_ strong. He had tasted better, but he had also tasted worse. Reacher then took the time to notice the only other person sitting in the diner.

It was a woman, and Reacher guessed her to be somewhere in her mid-thirties to early forties. She was tall, and she was wearing a heavy sweatshirt with jeans. Not the most ideal for the weather outside, but Reacher wasn't one to judge given his also relatively light attire. Her hair was a dark brown, and it was tied up in a ponytail at the top of her head.

All of her attention was focused on her cellular phone, a long, flat, and smooth rectangle with a single screen and only one button on its front face. The woman appeared to be agitated about something. Reacher could see it in how she fidgeted with her hair and impatiently tapped her foot.

Given the scenario, Reacher could only assume that her problem was related to the impending holiday, the weather, or both. Her anger seemed to culminate all at once, and she threw one of her hands in the air incredulously before slapping her phone down onto the table. She then looked up directly at Reacher.

"I don't suppose you know any good car rental places around here," she asked.

"No," Reacher said.

"Figures. Guess I'll have to get used to the idea of spending Christmas in the lovely Devil's Drop."

"Problems with the car?"

"Problems with everything."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

Reacher inwardly cracked a smile. Usually that was his line. The woman remained silent for a moment, then stood up and made her way over to where Reacher sat. She paused for a moment longer, then took a seat opposite Reacher.

"Since I'm stuck here for the holidays, might as well spend it with _someone_."

Reacher could think of no argument against that.

Introductions were made. The woman introduced herself as Lindsey Ibarra. She was making her way back to Chicago to spend Christmas with her parents, but her car had broken down just outside the edge of Devil's Drop. She was still an eight-and-a-half-hour drive from home, and neither of her parents' vehicles could make the trip soon enough to get her back to Chicago. Her parents were far too old to be driving anyway. She was effectively stranded.

Reacher knew the feeling. He was in the exact same predicament. But Ibarra made it a little bit better, at least in his eyes.

The food came, and Reacher and Ibarra both ate. The food was good, and the conversation was better. Reacher was enjoying himself until his eyes caught commotion through the diner's window.

A bright light appeared just outside of what Reacher could see through the window, and a loud bang sounded and rattled the glass of the diner. It was a stark contrast to the quickly darkening atmosphere outside. Ibarra turned in her seat to discern the source of the noise, and the two of them watched in confusion as a figure appeared and angrily threw open the door of the dinner. The glass cracked as the door slammed against its backstop, but both Reacher and Ibarra were both too fixated on the stranger than to notice the door.

What was so unorthodox was that the stranger was covered from head to toe in some kind of suit. Thick green armor plating covered nearly every square inch of his figure, ending with a helmet with a visor that Reacher couldn't see through. The guy looked like he belonged on the set of a Sci-Fi movie. Or maybe a video game convention. A likely possibility. People dressed up in far weirder costumes than the one that the stranger was wearing. Maybe he was supposed to be there instead but was now stuck in Devil's Drop like him and Ibarra. One thing Reacher did know for certain was that the stranger was angry. Very angry. As though he had been snatched from where he wanted to be and thrown into town. Reacher felt like he was getting warmer.

The stranger immediately stomped over to the bookstore potion of the building and began searching the shelves for something.

"What the hell is up with this guy?" Ibarra asked with a frown. Neither of them took their eyes off the stranger, who continued searching the shelves. Unaware that he was being watched.

"He's looking for a book."

"I mean besides that. What is he wearing? I've never seen anything like that before."

"It could be the new fashion. Extra protection against the cold."

"Do you really believe that?" Ibarra adopted a doubtful expression and glanced back at Reacher.

Reacher said nothing.

"Well, whatever his problem is, I'm staying out of it."

Reacher again said nothing, and the two of them returned to their meal. Reacher occasionally glanced back over to see the figure still rifling through the books. He had seemed to localize in the Sci-Fi section of the stock, and was now examining the covers of each book, still searching intently.

The waitress brought their checks shortly after the finished their meal. Even her saturated holiday cheer seemed to falter at the presence of the stranger in the bookstore section. Reacher asked if there was a motel in the town, and the waitress immediately perked up and told them there was one only a few blocks away. After she left, Reacher saw the stranger sit down hard in one of the nearby tables, a book in his hand.

Reacher glanced at the cover and saw a picture of another figure dressed in armor. The figure on the cover was quite similar to the one holding the book, but Reacher picked up a few differences between the two.

Above the figure on the cover in big block letters, the word HALO was printed in some Sci-Fi font. There were other words on the cover too, but they were too small for Reacher to make out.

The picture and title meant nothing to Reacher. So, he stood up from the table, and Ibarra stood up with him. The movement brought them slightly closer together for a moment, and Reacher caught a faint whiff of perfume. It smelled good.

"It's getting dark. We should get to that hotel," Reacher said.

"Agreed," said Ibarra.

Reacher nodded and spared one last glance at the stranger in green armor before following Ibarra out of the diner and toward the direction the waitress had indicated.

The cold whipped and whirled about them as they walked, trying to get through any opening in their clothing. Ibarra pulled her hood up. They walked for a few minutes on the sidewalk before the small motel came into view.

Like many motels that Reacher had seen, it was shaped like a rectangle, with three sides constituted by rooms and the fourth by an office, leaving a small area in one of the corners to enter and exit the place. The parking lot sat in the middle.

As the two of them entered the rectangle, Reacher saw that there were a few other cars parked in the lot. His attention was immediately drawn to two pickup trucks in particular. They were two supped up Chevys, with multiple additions to them that either increased performance or visual appeal. They were lifted high and looked well-maintained, evidence that their owners had money to spare for things like that.

The two trucks were parked so that their two tailgates faced each other, and between them, a small fire pit had been constructed right in the hotel parking lot. A group of eight guys sat around the makeshift campsite, and beer cans littered the ground at their feet. They all wore plaid and fur winter gear, making it seem like they had all just returned from a big hunting trip.

In Reacher's mind, he supposed the scenario made sense. A group of rednecks didn't want to spend the holidays all cooped up at home, so the next best option was to go camp out in a spot that blocked the wind on three sides. Sound thinking for rednecks.

They were on the opposite side of the rectangle, but as Reacher and Ibarra approached the office, he heard one of the guys whistle at Ibarra from across the parking lot. Ibarra noticeably stiffened, but she said nothing.

The two of them entered the office. A bored looking guy in about his mid-fifties sat behind the counter, watching some Christmas program on a small TV. He looked up expectantly as Reacher and Ibarra approached. Ibarra hesitated, so Reacher requested two rooms. The guy produced two keys from behind the counter in return and gave them to the two of them. In actuality, keys only described their function. Physically, they were plastic rectangles about the size of a playing card. They had a magnetic strip on the back that would open the door to their rooms when slid through the door handle. Classic key teeth and tumblers were being replaced with code and algorithms.

The rooms were 343 and 344. Right next to each other on the third floor.

Reacher and Ibarra stepped back out into the cold. The sun was all but gone, casting long shadows on the quickly darkening landscape. Reacher squinted and saw that their two rooms were directly across the lot, with the makeshift campsite directly between them and their destination.

"Great," Ibarra said.

Reacher said nothing.

Wordlessly, the two of them walked at an angle to miss the group on their way to their rooms. Unfortunately, that still brought them within ten feet of where the group was, far closer than Reacher would've liked to be. The group watched them as they closed the distance.

Ibarra pressed close to Reacher. He could feel her warmth under her sweatshirt.

"Maybe we ought to go back and suggest different rooms…"

"No," Reacher said.

"Why?"

"It's about standing your ground. They know we are coming. If we turn back now, they'll know they can walk all over us."

"This isn't a pissing contest. This is about common sense."

"Common sense also says that you shouldn't let anyone know that they have an advantage over you. That just leads to more trouble."

Ibarra didn't say anything back. They were now within twenty feet of the group, and Reacher watched as each of the rednecks stood up and moved to block their path. They all formed up in a rough arc as Reacher and Ibarra stopped. They were perfectly between Reacher and his room, which meant they were also perfectly between Ibarra and her room. Reacher could've drawn a straight line from the two of them to their respective rooms, and it would've gone right through the center of the redneck formation in front of him. That is, if they looked at it from a dead straight from-above perspective.

In reality, the two of them needed to go either left or right to a set of stairs that led them to the third floor of the motel. The two staircases were equidistant from the two of them, so they had the luxury of choosing which one they wanted to use. That is, if it weren't for the group in front of them. They were all looking at Ibarra. Some were sneering.

"Go upstairs," Reacher said, pulling his key from his pocket. He held it at his side, but he shifted his grip so that the rednecks could see it in his palm.

"I'll handle this."

Ibarra looked at him with fear and confusion, but Reacher looked back and nodded reassuringly. She slowly peeled away from him and took a wide circular path to the set of stairs on the left. None of the rednecks moved to stop her, but most continued to watch as she climbed the stairs.

Reacher was running a bluff. As far as the Neanderthals in front of him knew, him and Ibarra were a couple, and couples shared one room. And couples usually would get two keys. One for each person. That meant that Reacher was holding one of two keys to the room that Ibarra was currently moving to. This kept the rednecks in place. They thought the key in Reacher's hand granted access to the room. If they wanted to get to her, all they had to do was take the key from him. In reality, Reacher held a key to the room next door, his room, making it useless against her door. They would have much more success using a crowbar on her door than his key, and even then, they still wouldn't get in. Motels had stepped up their security expenditures in recent years, building their doors out of reinforced steel and aluminum, making them withstand more forms of breaking and entering. They would need a battering ram to get into that room. The rooms were windowless too, which meant breaking some glass wasn't an option. Reacher found all the extra security measures to be unnecessary however, as he had no intention of letting these thugs get that far.

The eight men plus Reacher all heard the door open and close above them, then Reacher spoke. He didn't wait for them to talk first, he wanted to set the pace.

"I'll use small words, so you don't miss anything, but I'm pretty sure you all know what this is."

Reacher raised his key out in front of him and showed it to the thugs before putting it back in his pocket.

"If you want it, come take it. But this is your one warning. The first one to come try is going to end up breathing through a tube for the next six months. It's not too late to walk away."

Reacher had already made the first move. By telling them that, he had subconsciously planted the idea in their heads that they should attack one at a time. It would only work with the first guy though, after which they would realize that there was nothing keeping them from attacking all at once. By then, it would be seven on one instead of eight on one, and Reacher liked those odds far better.

One of the rednecks in the center of the arc stepped forward. Reacher pegged him as the leader. He stood almost as tall as Reacher, but most of his weight was in the barrel-sized gut that was barely contained under a hunting jacket. He sauntered forward a few steps, his hands in his pockets. Reacher stepped forward to meet him.

He remembered back to his time at West Point. At the time, he had known a drill sergeant that had ingrained in Reacher that facing an opponent with your hands in your pockets was the worst mistake you could make in a fight. Reacher agreed.

In a burst of movement, Reacher pushed off his rear foot and headbutted the guy. He used his forehead, the most armored part of his body, and landed the blow square on the bridge of the guy's nose. There was a crunching noise, and the guy went down like a sack of potatoes. He fell still on his side, blood oozing from his nose. He didn't move, and his hands were still in his pockets.

Reacher didn't wait for his buddies to react. He immediately turned and launched his elbow straight into the next guy in line. The joint smashed against the side of his face, and he fell down as Reacher twirled and buried the same elbow into another guy's midsection. The thug doubled over, and Reacher grasped the back of his head and brought his knee up hard into the guy's face before shoving him away.

He whirled around to face the other five, and he immediately danced backward as one of them slashed at him with a knife. Reacher had not seen the knives appear, but now the remaining five guys stood in a loose formation, each one holding a switchblade. Neat wooden handles, plating binding, and plated buttons. Not an attractive sight to see in your opponent's hands.

Reacher hated knives. They were his most feared weapon in close-quarters combat. A small nimble guy with a knife scared Reacher more than a hulk with a gun. It was a whole different ball game than a fist fight.

Blows with hands left bumps and bruises that could easily be ignored in a fight, but knives left holes that bled and severed ligaments and arteries.

Not good.

Reacher danced away. The first rule of fighting against a knife was keeping your distance. The blade couldn't cut what it couldn't reach.

Reacher then shrugged off his coat as the remaining five stayed at the edge of his reach.

The second rule was to entangle your opponent. It was best to use a net or a coat or a blanket. The knife would catch on the fabric. Reacher only had one coat, and there was no way he could entangle all five of them with just that.

Reacher was suddenly wrenched backward by an unseen force, and he stumbled and floundered backward to regain his balance. When he looked up again, he saw a figure now standing between him and the remaining thugs.

Reacher immediately recognized the figure as the armored stranger from the bookshop. The same telltale suit of armor was unmistakable, even in the darkening ambience.

The thugs seemed confused at the sight for a moment, then one of them shook his head and stabbed at the stranger, who caught his hand before it reached him.

There multiple cracking sounds as the stranger crushed the thug's hand in his own. The thug cried out and fell to his knees dropping the knife. The stranger kicked him over and caught the knife before it hit the ground. Standing up, he threw the knife straight into the shoulder of the next thug in line, burying it to the hilt in the soft meaty flesh. The guy cried out like his friend had, but the stranger immediately silenced him with a punch to the sternum.

The stranger was strong. Stronger than Reacher even, which was saying something. The thug who had been punched flew back a few feet before writhing on the ground, gasping for breath. It was a fantastic display of strength, and yet, Reacher felt like the stranger was holding back somehow.

The stranger then focused on the three remaining thugs, who instinctively took a step back. One of them turned and ran back to the trucks, leaving the odds at two on two. Reacher was more than comfortable with that. He moved in, throwing his jacket over one of the remaining thugs. The fabric caught on the knife, and the thug found his movement severely restricted as he attempted to free himself. Reacher followed up with a straight uppercut to the thug's chin. The force of the blow lifted the thug off his feet, and Reacher immediately turned to see the stranger deliver a solid punch to the ribs, which cracked and most likely broke. Leaving the redneck curled up on the ground clutching his midsection.

Reacher and the stranger both turned to the sound of a truck engine starting. The last one was attempting to get away. The truck slammed into gear and roared forward. No, it wasn't trying to get away, it was attempting to run them over.

Reacher immediately dove left as the truck surged toward them, but the stranger stood his ground. The truck accelerated hard and struck the stranger at about thirty miles an hour. The stranger skidded back a few feet with the truck, but then to Reacher's surprise, he planted his feet and pushed, stopping the truck in its tracks. The wheels spun but caught no traction. They squealed against the pavement, kicking up white smoke as the stranger held it at bay. Then with a heave, the stranger threw the front of the truck into the air.

The truck flipped over backward and landed on its top with a loud grinding of metal, balancing on the cab. The wheels now spun uselessly in the air. Reacher continued to watch as the stranger stomped around to the driver's side and punched through the glass of the window with an armored fist. He pulled out the still conscious redneck that had been driven and slammed his head against the side of the truck. The thug went limp and fell to the ground.

Reacher said nothing as the stranger strode over to him and stood there. For a long pause, neither of them said a word. Then the old guy inside the office came out, most likely hearing the ruckus that the truck had made. He surveyed the scene, then strode over to the two of them. His eyes not believing what he saw.

The stranger pointed to the guy, then gestured to all the wreckage and bodies before pointing at himself.

The guy seemed to get the message.

"I'll tell the police that this was all you, I guess."

The stranger nodded before pointing at Reacher.

"And that he had nothing to do with it," the continued. He shook his head nervously, as though he expected the stranger to attack him at any moment.

The stranger nodded back before looking at Reacher. A long moment of silence fell between them.

The times where Reacher had nothing to say were few and far between, but given what had just happened, Reacher couldn't think of anything to say to the armored man in front of him. Now that he got a good look, Reacher saw that the stranger was not actually all that large. He stood at about four inches below Reacher, making him the height of about 6' 1''. The armor added to his bulk, but Reacher could still see that he was muscular under the suit. The Reacher realized that he stranger was waiting for him to do something. So, he held out his hand.

"Thank you."

The stranger nodded and shook Reacher's outstretched hand with his own. The armor felt cold and hard in his grip, but Reacher felt a surging heat beneath the plating. It radiated from the stranger's very essence.

The stranger let go and took a few steps back before giving Reacher a thumbs-up signal with its right hand.

There was a flash of blue light and a loud bang, and the stranger was gone.

Reacher turned and surveyed the wreckage around him. The checked the vitals of each of the thugs. They were all still alive, but some had thread pulses and rapid breathing. They were in need of medical care.

"Call an ambulance," Reacher said, turning to the desk guy. "Some of these guys need attention."

"What the hell should I tell them?" the guy asked with an exasperated chuckle.

"Tell them that the rednecks all got drunk and got into a fight. Eventually the situation escalated, and knives came out. That happens all the time. Make up something about an old girlfriend or a property line. These guys probably have plenty of those."

"And the truck?"

"The one that won the fight tried to run but rolled the truck trying to leave in a hurry."

"There's no tracks indicating a roll, they'll never believe that."

"They'll have to. What's the alternative? Some armored stranger flipped the truck over by hand?"

The guy fell silent for a moment, then nodded before turning on his heel and jogging back to the office. He had some phone calls to make.

Reacher looked at the scene one more time, then looked up to see Ibarra standing at the railing three floors up. She was watching him.

Reacher walked over and untangled his jacket from the thug he had thrown it at. The jacket now had a gaping hole where the knife had torn through. He would need to buy another one. Not tomorrow though, tomorrow was Christmas. There were no shops open. He took the stairs to the top and came out by their rooms. Ibarra strode over to him.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

"Never better," he replied.

"I saw all of it."

"All of it?"

"All of it."

"And?"

"I've never believed in Christmas miracles, but maybe I should. Or maybe I should get my eyes checked."

"It's certainly stranger than a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer."

"Are the cops coming?"

Reacher nodded. "They are going to ask questions."

"Well, neither of us saw anything right? We were too busy celebrating Christmas," Ibarra said, pulling Reacher by his arm into her room.

Reacher smiled and let the door close behind him.


	13. Fallout

Chapter 12

 _A/N: Huzzah! Tis I, back with another installment in my happy little series. This time, our favorite Doom Slayer finds himself in the dangerous post-apocalyptic world of "Fallout". And our hero is finna drop some bombs! Remember, yours truly owns absolutely nothing._

Proctor Ingram looked down from the vertibird as they began their descent. As far as first impressions went, there didn't seem to be anything extraordinary about their destination. All that stood here was what appeared to be an old shipping outpost. Or at least, that's what it had been before the bombs dropped. Shipping containers lay in a haphazard formation around the small building, which Ingram guessed must have been the administration office once upon a time. All in all, it was nothing she hadn't seen before.

So why had her sensors in this area lit up like a Christmas tree a few minutes ago?

The scanners themselves had been a joint operation between Ingram and Senior Scribe Neriah. Neriah's studies into the Commonwealth's ecosystem had delved further than she had originally planned for, and that meant she needed to collect more data on the environment to further her studies. She had brought her ideas for placing sensors around the landscape to Ingram, and next thing they knew, Elder Maxon had approved their idea. Ingram herself had been toying with the thought of deploying some external sensors around the Prydwen as sort of an early warning system, so the Brotherhood of Steel's interests were definitely being served.

Elder Maxon had only one condition: All sensory equipment could only be installed within visual range of the Prydwen. Any attempts to set them up farther than that would stretch their resources too thin.

At first, Neriah had been annoyed at the range limit, but she soon realized just how wide the Prydwen's view extended, and her mood improved.

After erecting the sensors, there had originally been nothing out of the ordinary on the readouts. The scanners took information on the climate, the rad levels, and the life signs of any nearby flora and fauna, and for the first few months there had been nothing unusual.

That had changed as of half an hour ago. Ingram had been in the power armor bay when Neriah had burst onto the deck, excited and out of breath. The two of them had rushed back to the terminal that had been hooked up remotely to their sensors, and to their astonishment, there had been a massive fluctuation in…well…nearly _everything_. That is, before they went dead shortly after.

The temperature had suddenly exceeded 100˚ Celsius, which had been enough to boil off any moisture that had been in the air, so the humidity had flatlined.

Similar to the climate readouts, the rad levels were bizarre. Usually the rads sat at a pretty standard low value. The level usually expected of the Commonwealth. But now, the readings had dropped completely to zero. No rads whatsoever. That was completely unheard of, as nothing in the wasteland was completely without rads. Even the vaults had a small amount of residual radiation within them.

None of that had been as puzzling as the bio-readings though. Before the scanners died, they had picked up a single life sign. The readings depicted something extraordinary. It read as human, but it was as though it had been amplified several times over. Pulse readouts, heartbeat, neurological activity…everything was to the extreme. It defied logic.

Less than ten minutes after picking up the readings, Ingram and Neriah were both on a vertibird, en route to the site with a squad of ten Knights in power armor, ready for anything.

Ingram squinted as the vertibird kicked up dust and debris as it touched down on solid ground. Neriah yelled something from next to her, but Ingram couldn't pick it up over the roar of the engines. She motioned to her ear and shook her head, and Neriah nodded once before hopping down onto solid ground. Ingram and the Knights followed suit.

Ingram felt the reverberations through her suit. When on missions, she attached armored sections to her usual power armor frame. It made it heavier than what she was used to, but the extra protection was worth it.

Once the team was clear from the vertibird, the engines whirred back up and it took to the skies. One of the knights had stayed behind to man the door gunner position in case the ground team needed support. Ingram watched as they climbed a bit higher into the sky, then turned her attention to the scanner nearby. Neriah was already examining it.

At first glance, it looked as though something had taken a large bite out of the machinery carving a massive, yet shallow crescent from the side. The rest of the sensory equipment was mostly intact, so only one side of the machinery had been damaged. Initially, Ingram had a haunting vision of a massive beast chomping out the side of their sensors.

Neriah seemed to pick up on her thoughts.

"This wasn't something organic," she said, gesturing to the missing metal.

Upon closer inspection, Ingram saw that she was correct. Teeth would have ripped and torn the casing, yet the gouge looked as though it had been done with a blowtorch. This confused Ingram, as this meant that something intelligent had tampered with their scanners. But even with all that narrowed down, it didn't explain the unorthodox gouge in their equipment. Why not just unscrew the panels for easier access? If they had a blowtorch as their disposal, certainly they had a _screwdriver_. It also still failed to explain the unusual readings they had recorded. Certainly, something else was lying around that could tell them what was going on here.

A loud explosion came from behind the building, and Ingram was instantly on alert. The Knights heard it too, and the group quickly moved to the source of the noise, Ingram leading the pack. As she rounded the corner, a massive super mutant Behemoth came into view. Not good.

Behemoths were some of the most fearsome beasts the Commonwealth had to offer. They were enormous, standing at least four meters tall, and armed to the teeth with massive boulders to throw at their enemies from a distance. In addition, they also carried a massive club that was the size of at least two humans stacked on top of each other. Not even power armor could stand up to that.

Ingram immediately backed up in the hope that the Behemoth hadn't seen her. The Knights quickly stopped short as well. Ingram motioned for them to be quiet, then peeked around the corner slowly.

The behemoth came into view again, and Ingram frowned as she realized that it was just standing there. It was facing her yet was making no attempt to move. It stood completely still.

Then, to Ingram's surprise, the behemoth fell to its knees, dropping its massive fire-hydrant club to the ground. It then completely fell forward onto its face with a booming thud, falling still once more.

Ingram frowned, then she saw something on its back.

It was a person, or at least Ingram assumed it was a person. The ambiguity came from the fact that the figure was completely covered by a suit of dark green armor. It was far less bulky than the power armor that Ingram was accustomed to, but she still was drawn to the fine craftsmanship and sturdy-looking design of it. The armor itself matched no style or description of any armor Ingram had seen or read about before. It was intricate and extremely well-made, and Ingram briefly considered the possibility of it coming from the Enclave, but she quickly ruled that out too. It didn't match, and there was no way that the Enclave was bold enough to come out here. As she watched, the figure wrenched what appeared to be a chainsaw from the behemoth's corpse, then jumped down onto the ground in front of it. It then checked its surroundings, and its gaze halted right on Ingram. It had seen her in less than a second.

Figuring that stealth was no longer an option, Ingram slowly came around the corner, gesturing for the Knights to follow. Their rifles were raised, which Ingram took comfort in. There was still no telling where this stranger's allegiance lied. Neriah watched from a distance.

Proctor Ingram halted a few meters away from the stranger. The Knights fanned out on either side of her, their laser rifles still trained on the figure in green armor.

"I am Proctor Ingram of the Brotherhood of Steel," Ingram said in an authoritative tone. The figure said nothing.

"Who are you? Identify," Ingram said. The air suddenly became very tense. The figure said nothing still. Its gaze was locked on Ingram through its visor. She couldn't see its face, but she still felt like holes being bored into her skull. The Knights seemed to grow apprehensive.

"Answer her!" another Knight shouted. The figure still remained silent.

"Well then," Ingram said, surprised at how her voice suddenly faltered. "Since we can't confirm your intent, we have no choice but to take you into custody. Knights, hail the vertibird and place…"

A loud shot rang out.

It wasn't until after the fact that Ingram realized that one of the Knights had accidently squeezed the trigger on their rifle and fired a shot at the stranger. But at that moment, all hell broke loose.

The stranger immediately jumped into action. Faster than Ingram thought possible, it ran to the Knight that had fired and threw its armored elbow hard into his midsection, there was a loud crumpling of metal, and the Knight cried out in pain and flew backwards and landed hard in the dirt. Proctor Ingram was stunned. Even in power armor, humans didn't possess that kind of strength. Only one type of being possessed that much power in a relatively small frame.

Coursers.

"Fall back!" She yelled as the Knight struggled to get up. The stranger fell upon him again.

"Get to cover, it's a courser!"

"What!?" another Knight yelled as they regrouped and rounded the shed. "That's impossible!"

Ingram disagreed. Yes, the Institute had been destroyed over a month ago, but reports of synth activity still came from the Commonwealth, despite the destruction of their manufacturing plant. It made sense that a courser still might be out there despite the odds of finding one. Not only that, but this one was armored too. How had she gotten so lucky to run into one of the most dangerous things in the Commonwealth?

As the group ran behind the building for cover, Ingram heard the whirr of the vertibird's engines overhead. The minigun on the side door burst to life, and a hail of bullets rained down on the courser, who quickly jumped away from the Knight lying still on the ground. The Knight's fusion core was in its hand. Ingram had no idea if the Knight was injured or not, but even if he wasn't, he wouldn't have been able to move the power armor without the fusion core.

Ingram was also shocked. Coursers didn't usually bother with disabling power armor since they were more than capable of killing their enemies through it. Something was off about this one.

Her attention quickly turned back to the courser as it pulled out a rocket launcher seemingly from nowhere and mounted it on its shoulder.

"Return fire!" Ingram yelled to the other Knights, who were already firing back at the courser. Unfortunately, the Courser didn't seem to notice, and took aim with the launcher. With a burst of smoke and fire, a rocket burst forth on a path directly toward the vertibird. The warhead exploded against the tail, and the vertibird lurched from the impact. Black smoke billowed from the impact point, and the vertibird made a valiant effort to stabilize itself before quickly losing altitude and crashing hard into the dirt.

…

Elder Maxson saw the vertibird go down from the command deck of the Prydwen. Lancer Captain Kells stood beside him.

"Sir," Kells said. "We have received the distress call from Proctor Ingram. Reports of a new form of courser have been made. I strongly recommend sending reinforcements."

"No," Maxson said. Kells turned to him questioningly.

"I won't risk any more lives on this so-called reinforced courser. Send _him_ in."

"With all due respect, sir," Kells said. "That seems a bit…"

"I'm sure," Maxson said, turning to face Kells. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "A weapon unused is a useless weapon, Captain. And I don't want to put any more lives at stake."

Kells paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"I'll send word immediately."

…

Ingram pulled her head down as dirt and gravel rained down on her. The vertibird had kicked up a massive amount of earth when it had crashed into the ground, momentarily dazing both her and the Brotherhood Knights. As the dust cleared, she slowly peeked over her cover to see the courser running full-tilt toward the downed vertibird, which was currently laying in its side in a crumpled and flaming heap.

Reaching the hull at record-breaking speeds, the courser ripped the side of the vertibird away. The metal screeched and groaned in protest, but the armored synth appeared to have no issue moving the metal aside. Smoke billowed out from the hole the courser made in the vehicle, partially blocking Ingram's view of it. After ripping a gap wide enough to fit through, the courser rushed into the confines of the vertibird's metal hull, and Ingram lost sight of it in the smoke. The actions of the synth confused her. There was nothing of tactical value inside the vertibird, yet the courser had broken off their engagement to pursue something it deemed more important than fighting her and the other Knights.

Ingram decided to take advantage of the courser's momentary deviation to regroup with the other Knights. Quickly taking a head count, Ingram saw that nine of the Knights were still in fighting shape. The one Knight that had the courser had engaged was still laying in the dirt. Ingram squinted and saw his fingers slowly curl, as though he was straining to lift himself off the ground. He was alright, for now.

Ingram turned back to the wreckage of the vertibird to see the courser emerging from the hole it had made not a few moments ago. It was dragging two items behind it, and Ingram recognized them as the pilot and door gunner. They both were unconscious. As with the hull, the Courser appeared to move the two armored humans with little to no difficulty. It dragged them clear of the wreckage and set them down next to the downed Knight before turning again to the building that Ingram, Neriah, and the other Knights were taking cover behind.

Ingram frowned in confusion as the courser began walking over to them. Its gait was non-threatening, but its fists were clenched at its sides, displaying a level of annoyance that Ingram thought was impossible for a synth. Ingram didn't know what to think as the courser drew closer.

"Ma'am? What are your orders?" asked one of the Knights. Ingram could feel their anxiety, as she struggled with her decision. Did she order them to stand down, or continue in their attempt to destroy this synth?

On one hand, the courser had attacked and disabled one of the Knights. It had also shot down a vertibird carrying two Brotherhood personnel. That was definitely classified as hostile activity. On the other hand, it had also saved those two Brotherhood Knights from the burning wreckage of the vertibird. So, in actuality, no one had died yet. That didn't add up.

Ingram's interaction with coursers had been limited, but she had attended a number of briefings on coursers and how to survive contact with one. The first and foremost thing that she had learned was that above all else, coursers were efficient. Efficient at tracking, efficient at hunting, and most unfortunately, efficient at killing. Most reports of engagements with coursers did not last long, considering that either the courser was killed or had killed its opponent in less than five minutes. And yet, this one was vastly different. It had far better armor and far superior weaponry to that of anything they could've seen before, yet this battle had gone on for at least ten minutes and no one was dead. Something wasn't right.

"Orders, ma'am?" the Knight asked again, panic seeping into his tone.

Ingram looked back to the courser to see that it had stopped walking, and now stood exactly halfway between them and the downed vertibird. Its gaze was now focused on something else. Something behind Ingram and the rest of the Knights. She frowned yet again.

Wha-?

A bright light and a massive boom overloaded Ingram's senses. She squeezed her eyes shut against the light and was forced backward a second later by the shockwave. For half a second, her mind struggled to comprehend. Then, it hit her.

The courser had just been nuked. And not by somebody wielding a Fat Man. No, that blast had been much larger than anything a mini nuke could dish out. Ingram could feel the heat on her face to prove it. No, there was only one thing that possessed destructive power of that magnitude…

" **COMMUNIST DETECTED ON AMERICAN SOIL. LETHAL FORCE ENGAGED."**

Ingram turned to the sound of thundering footfalls behind her. Approaching fast was none other than the Brotherhood of Steel's very own forty-foot-tall, heavily armored trump card.

Liberty Prime had entered the battlefield.

Ingram felt relief wash over her at the sight of the armored juggernaut. With Liberty Prime around, there wasn't much else to be afraid of. That is, if he was on _your_ side.

The giant metal man continued his approach, drawing another nuke from the reserve strapped to his back.

 **"EMBRACE DEMOCRACY, OR BE ERADICATED."**

Ingram's eyes widened and whirled back around. The area that Liberty Prime had initially nuked was reduced to a shallow crater in the dirt. The smoke began to clear, and Ingram's eyes widened as she saw a silhouette begin to emerge from the cloud.

"No way…" One of the Knights said. Ingram agreed. Not even a courser could survive a point-blank impact from a Mark 28 Tactical Nuke.

Ingram involuntarily gulped as she saw the figure step out of the haze. Apart from a bit of dirt and streaks smeared onto its armor. The "courser" appeared to have sustained no damage. And now, it was holding its rocket launcher again.

"Get down!" Ingram screamed to the other Knights as she dove to the ground. Time seemed to slow as Ingram threw her legs out from under her in a frantic race to get to cover. About halfway into her descent, Ingram saw Liberty Prime wind up and throw the warhead at the "courser", who fired its rocket launcher at that exact same moment. A millisecond later, Ingram was thrown the rest of the way to the dirt as the rocket and warhead collided in midair above them. The shockwave from the blast pressed her hard into the dirt, and she squeezed her eyes shut as dirt and metal were kicked up around her.

When she opened them again, she saw Liberty Prime regaining his balance. The front of his chest plate was charred black. The rocket had collided with the warhead shortly after leaving his hand, and therefore, he had taken the brunt of the resulting explosion.

Ingram shifted her attention back to the "courser", and she noticed that its body language had changed. It seemed almost…eager?

…

Elder Maxson watched the fight escalate from the observation deck. The nuke that Prime had thrown had detonated in midair, and the resulting blast had done damage to Prime's armor. As Elder Maxson watched, a series of smaller explosions exploded against Prime's metallic hull. The force was not nearly as powerful as the nuke had been, but the giant metal man was still buffeted by the attacks.

Maxson frowned. He would never show it, but he was worried. Whatever was down there had proven itself to be more than a threat to anything else the Brotherhood had seen before. Certainly, a threat of this caliber couldn't have been due to a single courser, no matter how advanced they were. Brief images of the Enclave appeared in his mind, but Maxson discarded them as an impossibility. The Enclave had been all but eviscerated some years ago. Maxson had seen the destruction himself. No, this was something else. More explosions appeared in the distance, and Maxson quickly reached a decision. Without a second thought, he turned on his heel and strode to the hanger bay.

…

Ingram grit her teeth as another shockwave rattled her bones. Neriah crouched in the dirt behind her, trying her best to hide behind Ingram's Power Armor, but not even Power Armor held up well against the constant barrage from the battle. All things considered, Ingram finally came to the conclusion that this wasn't a courser that they were dealing with. That didn't provide her with any sense of relief, however, as it certainly wasn't human either. The strange…thing had been fighting with Liberty Prime for the past five minutes, and during that time, Prime had used six Mark 28's and fired his optic beam at least ten times. And yet, this metal suit…this _force_ , hadn't sustained even a scratch on its armor. Ingram shook her head in disbelief. This thing was nigh indestructible.

The Brotherhood Knights had managed to move the three downed personnel to a safe position and were currently assessing them for injuries. Upon receiving their report amidst the destruction that rained down around them, Ingram was surprised to learn that none of them had sustained serious injuries, and that they were all currently conscious and cognizant of the situation. At least something was going right.

Despite the stranger taking virtually no damage during the altercation, Liberty Prime had been quite the opposite. Dents and char coated his exoskeleton, and sparks sprouted from numerous spots where his wiring had been exposed.

 **"WARNING: NUCLEAR WEAPON PAYLOAD DAMAGED. PROBABILITY OF MISSION HINDRANCE: 65 PERCENT."**

Ingram's blood ran cold. Glancing to the pack on Prime's back, she saw that the metal had been distorted and warped, clamping the warhead delivery system tight. With the delivery system clamped, there was no way for prime to access his arsenal. Without his nuclear payload, Liberty Prime lost a significant amount of lethality. And as far as she knew, those warheads were the only thing capable of even slowing down this armored adversary, as all Prime's optic beam seemed to do was annoy it.

Her eyes widened as the armored being then pulled out a weapon she had never seen before. At first, it looked as though it was from another planet. The forked design, bright red glow, and whirring parts all reminded her of something out of a science-fiction novel. But as she looked closer, Ingram saw that the weapon was actually akin to some designs she had seen for a rail gun. Although it was impossibly small than was feasible for such a weapon, the parts were all arranged perfectly for magnetic acceleration, and had it not been for the circumstances, Ingram would have been ecstatic to see such a technological marvel.

Unfortunately for her, the wielder of said rail gun choose to fire the weapon at that time, and Ingram flinched as a bright red beam erupted from the forked machine and struck Prime directly on the bulk of his right leg. The blast threw the giant off balance, but the worst damage came as a haunting surprise when Ingram saw the impact point. The magnetically accelerated slug had punched a hole in Prime's leg, which was to be expected. But as Ingram watched Liberty Prime stagger from the impact, the metal around the hole began to wither. It wasn't as though it was melting or rusting. No, it just…decayed. The hole grew wider and wider, and Prime fell onto his right knee as the decaying metal refused to support his massive bulk.

 **"WARNING: HULL INTEGRITY COMPROMISED. MOBILITY REDUCED BY 75 PERCENT."**

Ingram should have felt a sense of dread at the sight Liberty Prime being slowly destroyed by an enemy they knew nothing about, but instead she felt a stab of confusion. The stranger wielding the railgun obviously knew of its destructive capabilities, as it showed no surprised reaction to the decaying metal on Prime's leg. So why hadn't it gone for the head?

The creature could have made that shot with no issue form what Ingram had seen. Every time it aimed, it hit its mark. Hell, it had shot a damn nuke out of the air with a damn rocket launcher. Hitting Prime in the head should've been as easy as hitting the broad side of a barn after a feat like that.

On top of that, the stranger had used non-lethal force on the Brotherhood Knights. Sure, it had shot down a vertibird, but it had then pulled the pilot and the door gunner from the wreckage immediately after. With a start, Ingram realized that this strange being wasn't trying to kill them. In fact, it had only ever acted in self-defense since they had first come into contact with it.

 **"DEFEAT IS NOT AN OPTION."**

Liberty Prime had raised his head to look at the stranger, and Ingram saw his optic beam charging for another attack. The figure raised its railgun again threateningly. It's red glow and slow whirring added to its ominous presence.

"Wait! Liberty Prime, stand down!" Ingram yelled as loud as she could.

The was a brief moment of pause.

 **"ACKNOWLEDGED."**

Ingram breathed a sigh of relief as the giant iron patriot ceased his assault and waited in an immobile state. He was still down on one knee.

The stranger watched Liberty Prime for a moment before turning its attention to Ingram again. It lowered its rail gun.

"Knights stand down as well!" Ingram barked as she stood up from her cover, Neriah rising uncertainly behind her.

"Ingram? What are you doing?" she whispered warily, as the two of them strode towards the stranger.

"It's not trying to kill us, or it would have by now," Ingram said back. "I think we can reason with it."

Neriah seemed hesitant, but she nodded and followed Ingram's lead.

The two of them stopped when they stood about ten feet from the figure. All around them, the shipping outpost had been reduced to nothing more than craters and mangled shipping containers. At one point during the battle, the figure had picked up a container with its massive strength and had hurled it at Liberty Prime. It and numerous others now lay scattered like leaves.

Seeing the figure up close again, Ingram had reason to chuckle. Despite its destructive capabilities, it only stood at a little over six feet tall. Ingram had to look down to make eye contact. Well, visor contact. She didn't even know if this thing had eyes.

Its railgun was still lowered, so Ingram took that as a good sign. So she tried talking to it.

"From what we've seen here, you aren't a courser, and you aren't from the Institute."

The figure tilted its head in a sarcastic manner. The gesture seemed to say: 'No shit.'

"But given what you've demonstrated here, you certainly aren't human," Ingram said, gesturing to the destruction around them.

The figure glanced once at Liberty Prime and the ruined shipping containers, then shrugged.

"I suppose it doesn't matter what you are, in the end. Even though- "

Ingram was cut off by a distant rumbling. Initially, she frowned at the noise. Then one of the Knights clambered up a nearby hill and yelled down.

"Proctor Ingram! Feral ghouls approaching, fast! There…there's _hundreds_ of them!"

Damn it. Ingram cursed herself for not considering the ghouls sooner. It was well-known that feral ghouls were often attracted by loud noises, explosions, and all other kinds of commotion. And the battle between Liberty Prime and the stranger had been the loudest thing to occur in the Commonwealth since blowing up the Institute.

Ingram assessed the situation, which looked about as bleak as it could get. It would be her, Neriah, Liberty Prime, and the Knights against the largest horde of ghouls they had ever seen. The Knights had managed to get their tenth member out of his power armor, but one extra hand didn't help all that much against hundreds of ghouls.

Even if they had the help of this stranger, Ingram doubted that they'd survive the onslaught. There was little higher ground position on, and they couldn't run away or call in a vertibird in time to come get them. On top of that, they hadn't brought enough ammunition to fight these ghouls, and eventually, they'd be overrun. It was the end of the line.

Ingram sighed and turned to the figure. She didn't know how, but she knew that it was coming to the same conclusion.

"With or without your help, we can't fight them all. I know we don't deserve to ask, but if we can eliminate more ghouls now, the less there will be later."

The figure stared at her for a second, then glanced up to Liberty Prime. It seemed to be considering something. After a few more moments, the figure put the rail gun away and walked over to Liberty Prime. Without hesitation, it began climbing up Prime's massive leg.

 **"UNIDENTIFIED PERSONNEL DETECTED. RECOMMEND USE OF LETHAL FORCE."**

"Negative, Liberty Prime," Ingram said. "Personnel identified as friendly."

 **"ACKNOWLEDGED. PERSONNEL NOW CLASSIFIED: ALLY TO FREEDOM."**

The figure had worked its way onto Liberty Prime's back and was now examining the damaged nuclear payload system.

"What's it doing?" Neriah asked, frowning. Ingram watched it closely.

"I think—I think it's trying to fix him," Ingram said.

Her theory was soon proven true as the figure pulled and molded the metal back into its original position. With the same strength it had used to tear open the vertibird, it moved the metal back into shape with a loud grinding.

When it had finished, it jumped back down to the ground before turning and nodding to Ingram.

"Liberty Prime," she called out. "Run systems test."

 **"SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS: INITIALIZED."**

Liberty Prime then attempted to stand, balancing his weight on his minimally damaged foot while keeping less pressure on the decayed one. Looking closer, Ingram saw that the rail gun round had eaten through about a quarter of the bulk of his leg, making it weaker to be sure, but not unusable.

 **"RIGHT LEG INTEGRITY COMPROMISED. WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION: 75 PERCENT RIGHT; 25 PERCENT LEFT."**

Liberty Prime then reached behind his back. When he brought his hand forward, there was a Mark 28 Tactical Nuclear Warhead in his hand.

 **"NUCLEAR PAYLOAD SYSTEM REPAIRED. PROBABILITY OF RED CHINEASE VICTORY: IMPOSSIBLE."**

Ingram cracked a smile. At least someone had a chance to make it home today. Looking over to the squad of Knights, she tried to think of something to say to boost their morale in the face of death. But nothing came to mind. For some reason, the weight of their doom bearing down on them had left her with nothing to say to comfort them. She was still trying to think of something when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

It was the stranger. With its head, it gestured to one of the shipping containers that had been minimally damaged during the fight, and Ingram was confused at first at what it was trying to say, but then she realized what it wanted.

It wanted her to get inside the container.

It could work. All of them except Prime could fit inside of the container. If they were lucky, the ghouls wouldn't discover where they were. They could wait it out until help arrived. It wasn't much, but it was their only chance.

"Knights! Gather the injured and get into the container!" Ingram shouted, pointing to the giant metal box.

The thought of living to see another day roused the Brotherhood soldiers, and they quickly sprang into action and began moving into the container. Ingram directed them inside, and soon, everyone was packed into the container. It was cramped, but it was preferable to death.

Ingram and the stranger stood at the entrance, and Ingram quickly realized the problem. Someone had to close the doors to the container from the outside. Someone had to remain.

She figured it out a millisecond before she was roughly pushed forward into the container. The doors slammed shut behind her, and there was a metallic clang as the crossbar fell into place. They were sealed inside.

"Damn it!" Ingram yelled as she slammed her armored fist against the door of the container. Even though they had tried to kill this stranger not half an hour ago, it was now going to sacrifice itself to save them. That left a foul taste in Ingram's mouth. She had joined up with the brotherhood to make the world a better place, and that meant saving people. And now THEY were the ones needing saved. Ingram hated it.

The container fell silent as the rumbling outside grew louder. Ingram tried to pick out individual noises from the ambience, but it soon became difficult to hear anything as the rumbling grew louder and louder.

 **"COMMUNIST FORCES DETECTED. ERADICATION SUBROUTINES INITIALIZED."**

Liberty Prime's voice boomed from outside, and a few of the Knights whispered, "Ad Victorium." Prime always had a way with words.

Then, the explosions and gunfire began. Soon, nothing couldd be heard over the screams and yowls of ghouls mixed with nuclear explosions and weapons fire.

 **"GLORY IS THE REWARD OF VALOR."**

The sounds of carnage continued to penetrate the walls of the container, rising to a deafening pitch as ghouls swarmed in droves. Only occasionally could they hear Liberty Prime, and everyone in the container waited anxiously for the next time they could hear his voice. As long as he was alive, there was still hope.

 **"AMERICA WILL NEVER FALL TO COMMUNISM. THE RED MENACE WILL BE ANNIHILATED."**

The fighting continued for at least a few minutes more before the noise began to decline. Slowly but surely, the number of ghouls began to dwindle. Soon, all fell silent outside the container. Then, Liberty Prime's voice boomed.

 **"RED CHINEASE FORCES: ELIMINATED. DEMOCRACY REIGNS SUPREME."**

Shouts of "Ad Victorium" and cheering filled the container. Ingram heard the crossbar lift from outside, then the doors opened, and light spilled into the container.

Framed against the light of day stood the stranger. Ingram couldn't see its face, but she was certain that it was smirking behind the visor. The Knights cheered and raised their rifles in salute to their armored savior.

The figure stepped back and everyone stepped back out into the Commonwealth.

Ingram couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the carnage. There were so many bodies.

 _Hundreds_ of bodies.

So many bodies littered the ground that the dirt was completely covered in some areas. There were piles of ghouls stacked twice as high as Ingram was tall. Liberty Prime stood nearby.

"Dear God," Neriah whispered next to her.

Ingram agreed. In addition to all the bodies, numerous other shipping containers had been destroyed. The administration building also sat in ruin.

"This is the one," she said to Neriah pointing to the stranger, who turned to them in response.

"You are the one that our scanners picked up. The one without any rads. You're not even from this planet, are you?"

The stranger nodded.

Ingram lowered her hand. She needed time to process the events that had just occurred.

Her attention was quickly diverted again as a vertibird approached from the distance. Within minutes, the helicopter touched down, and none other than Elder Maxson stepped out onto the ground. He strode over to the group.

"Proctor Ingram, I'm glad to see that you're all still in one piece. Is everyone alright?"

"We're all green, Elder Maxson," Ingram responded. "Thanks to our new friend here."

Elder Maxson turned to the stranger, and the two stared at each other for a few moments. Then Maxson held out his hand.

"You have my thanks for looking after my people," he said. "I've never seen the make of your armor before."

"We believe that it is from another planet, sir," Ingram said. "It can't talk but appears to understand English."

Maxson nodded and was about to say more before a loud noise came from behind one of the piles of ghouls.

The Knights instantly held their rifles at the ready.

"Who's there?" Maxson demanded. "Show yourself!" He had drawn his pistol from its holster, and had it trained on the pile of bodies.

Nothing happened for a few moments, then a lone synth stepped out from behind the pile. The synth was dressed in a long and faded trench coat along with a worn and beaten fedora. He looked something like a private eye. Ingram recognized him immediately. It was Nick Valentine, the resident detective of Diamond City.

"Elder Maxson," Valentine said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "Looking xenophobic as usual."

"You're a long way from Diamond City, _synth_ ," Maxson said back. He spat out the word "synth."

"Hard not to be out here with all that noise you guys are making out here," Valentine replied. "From the looks of it, you've been busy."

Valentine stepped around the body of a dead ghoul. Ingram stood still, but the rest of the Knights still had their rifles trained on him.

"Diamond City may tolerate abominations like you, but we see the truth. And now, you've reached the end of the line," Maxson said. His voice was dripping with contempt.

"Knights, fi—"

The stranger stepped out in front of Nick, standing between the laser rifles trained on the synth and Nick himself.

"Stand aside," Elder Maxson ordered. "This does not concern you."

The stranger tilted its head down slightly, making it seem even more intimidating, which Ingram didn't even think was possible.

"You want to risk your life for a synth?" Maxson asked. "You will both die."

"Sir," Ingram said in a low tone. "With all due respect, it saved us from—"

"If it chooses to align with a synth, then it is an enemy of the Brotherhood," Maxson said forcefully.

"This is the one that nearly destroyed Liberty Prime," Ingram persisted. "We can't win this, sir."

Maxson grit his teeth but didn't put down his pistol.

"Listen well, Valentine!" he spat through gritted teeth. "If you are ever seen again by any Brotherhood forces, you will be fired upon immediately. Now, I would suggest you get out of my sight, before I change my mind."

"Ah, so merciful. Many thanks, oh wise elder," Valentine said, before addressing the stranger.

"I appreciate you having my back, there. If you're ever in Diamond City, look me up."

The stranger nodded once to Valentine.

"Well, I better get lost before the Elder blows a gasket," Valentine said. The synth then turned on his heel and walked away. Elder Maxson stared the stranger down. The stranger stared back.

The moment suddenly grew uncomfortably tense. Insanely so. Finally, Elder Maxson spoke.

"The mission of the Brotherhood of Steel is to protect humanity," he spoke slowly, trying to restrain his anger. "Synths propose an unarguable threat to the future of the human race, and therefore must be eliminated."

The figure said nothing.

"And if your interests do not align with ours, then it would be best if we choose not to associate. You saved the lives of my soldiers, and I was indebted to you for that, but consider us even now," he said, gesturing to the profile of Nick Valentine as he disappeared over the horizon.

The stranger took one last look to make sure Valentine was far enough away, then glared at Maxson for a few moments more. Finally, Ingram saw movement in its right hand and a bright blue light engulfed it followed by a loud bang. Ingram blinked her eyes rapidly to clear her vision, and when she looked again, the stranger was gone.

Elder Maxson took a deep breath, then addressed Ingram.

"Get the wounded on board the vertibird, I'll expect your report back on the Prydwen."

Ingram nodded once then turned to take charge of the squad. She was eager to get back to the Prydwen and to some semblance of normalcy. Today had gone on long enough.

 _A/N: Boom! Another chapter in the books! I must take this time to apologize for leaving my readers handing for so long between chapters, but I must insist that it was not my intention to do so. For some reason, writer's block hit me with a 10-foot-long pole and refused to stop. Hopefully I can get over that now and keep writing! Always remember to drop a review to keep me posted on how well/terrible the story is going. Until next time!_

-ImpulsiveWeaver


	14. Pacific Rim

Chapter 13

 _A/N: Hell yeah! It's go time baby! Welcome to a brand new installment in the story. This time, our Doom Slayer is about to get **colossal**! By that, I mean he is about to find himself in the Pacific Rim franchise. Doom Slayer, giant robots, giant monsters, I think we all know where this is going. Enjoy! Remember I own non of this stuff!_

 **23 March 2020, 1300 hours, Los Angeles Shatterdome, Pacific Coastline**

Marshall Stacker Pentecost stood up straight with his hands behind his back. Such a posture was becoming of an individual who held a leadership position, and Stacker knew he had to set a clear example for those beneath him.

Currently, Stacker stood in the Local Command Center, codenamed LOCCENT, of the Los Angeles Shatterdome, one of the nine beating hearts of the Program. The massive facility existed just outside the city, giving it easy access to the coastline. Since K-day, this facility, as well as eight others served as a catalyst for the deployment of mankind's most advanced weapon yet. Jaegers, their pièce de résistance in the war against the giant monsters of the breach. Stacker thought back to the first time mankind had encountered its greatest foe in 2013.

Had it really been seven years since then?

Stacker had been in the Royal Air Force back then and had been virtually as far from ground zero as possible, but the dread that these monsters imparted had been felt by every human around the globe. Everyone lost something that day. Whether it was the mirage of human superiority on the food chain, the comfortable sense of peace, or the ones you held dear…

Stacker shook his head to dismiss his thoughts and berated himself internally. He was chasing the R.A.B.I.T. That was a huge no-no. Had he had still been a pilot, that would have been enough to ground him for a solid while, but as a high-ranking officer of the most expensive program in existence, it meant the survival of humanity. Stacker took a deep breath and brought his mind back from the past into the L.A. Shatterdome.

This Shatterdome in particular was of interest to Stacker. Of the nine stationed on the Pacific coastlines of the world, there were only three located on the Eastern coastline. The Pan Pacific Defense Corps' reasoning for an imbalanced placement stemmed from the massive population difference on the two coasts. The population of North America stood at around six-hundred million people, while Asia's was at least six times that number.

Apart from L.A., the other two Shatterdomes were located in Anchorage, Alaska and Panama City, Panama. That was cause for concern for Stacker, as that stretched the L.A. Shatterdome's reach pretty thin. Over eleven thosand kilometers of coastline was under their jurisdiction, which left little room for mistakes. If Stacker had his way, there would be at least two additional Shatterdomes put into place on both sides of the ocean, but this was the Jaeger Program, and an expansion like that did not come cheap. So here they were.

Today, Stacker felt rather emotionally drained. It had been less than a month since he had lost his star Jaeger team. Yancy and Raleigh Becket had been the cream of the crop, smashing records left and right ever since they had first entered the Jaeger academy. Both had scored in the top of their class and had shown incredible promise in the simulations. In action, they had proved to be even better, as they alone had been responsible for putting down a majority of the Kaiju that had emerged from the breach since their graduation.

All that had quickly come to an end when Yancy was killed in the line of duty. A Kaiju battle. Stacker had been at the Anchorage Shatterdome when it had happened. Even the thought of the event gave him chills.

After Yancy's death, Raleigh had left the Jaeger program, and Stacker couldn't blame him. He had been drifting with Yancy when he died, and he had witnessed his brother's death as if it was his own. That alone would've driven most men insane. To see someone die was hard enough, but to FEEL it in their mind…

Stacker could think of no worse burden to bear.

Stacker was once again jolted from his thoughts as the piercing shrill of an alarm sounded throughout the compound.

"Sir!" The Operations Officer shouted from his console at the front of LOCCENT. "Activity in the breach detected!"

Stacker strode up to the console as the Ops continued.

"It's a category-lll!" he said as a holographic projection of the beast appeared in front of them.

"Codename: Sheargrip!"

That was a rather fitting name for this Kaiju. As Stacker studied the projection of the creature, he saw that in addition to the standard hunched-over dinosaur look that most Kaiju had, this one had scissor-like claws instead of fingers at the end of its primary arms. Long and powerful, Stacker had no doubt that those things could take the arm clean off from a Jaeger if they wanted to.

"Size?" Stacker asked the Ops.

"Approximately ninety-five meters tall and 2,650 tons, sir!"

"Christ…" Stacker cursed under his breath. This Kaiju was _massive_. It now was the second largest Kaiju they had seen so far, and according to the trend, they were going to keep getting bigger.

"Where's it headed?"

"Sir, it'll be in Seattle within two hours."

Stacker shook his head and accessed the facility-wide intercom.

"All personnel! A Category-lll Kaiju just emerged from the Breach! It's target: Seattle. We have less than two hours until it gets there! Romeo Blue, intercept and neutralize the hostile. Mammoth Apostle, standby for reinforcement if necessary! Evacuate the city, shutdown all major roadways, and get every civilian to safety!"

At once, the Shatterdome kicked into overdrive. Technicians and pilots alike ran this way and that to report to their stations. A Kaiju had emerged, and it was once again time to fight for humanity's future.

Behind him, Stacker heard the doors to the control room open. He turned to see Mako Mori rushing in.

Stacker always felt a touch of pride when he saw Mako. At seventeen years old, she was already showing signs of extreme brilliance. Stacker knew that she would be amazing at whatever she put her mind to. Unfortunately for him, she wanted to be a Jaeger pilot.

It was a constant conflict inside Stacker's mind as to Mako becoming a pilot. On one hand, Stacker would never let her place herself in harm's way like that, he doubted he could bear the stress. On the other hand, should Mako make it into the program (with her current grades, she would in a heartbeat) Stacker knew that she would probably become the best damn Jaeger pilot on the face of the Earth. Of that he had no doubt.

"Mako," Stacker began speaking in Japanese. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to see the Kaiju, and I want to see Romeo Blue in action. I've only ever read battle reports of this Jaeger before," she responded.

"Mako…"

"I won't make any trouble, plus I want to study how a heavier Jaeger fights."

Stacker was silent for a moment, then nodded once to Mako, who smiled and took her position at his side.

…

Less than half an hour later, Stacker watched from LOCCENT as the Jaeger, Romeo Blue, was hoisted out of the Shatterdome by a squadron of twelve super-charged helicopters. Normally, only eight choppers would be needed to carry the weight of a Jaeger, but Romeo Blue was an exception, as it was second only to Horizon Brave as the heaviest Jaeger on the planet. Weighing in at 7,775 tons, the massive death machine weighed almost three hundred tons more than Tacit Ronin, which was in third place. The extra weight was mostly in part due to the extra armor that had been implemented in Romeo's structure. Every joint, limb, and weapon had been reinforced with the hardest alloys known to man, making it ideal against a Kaiju that had pincers for hands. Stacker tried not to show it, but he was just as interested in watching the battle as Mako.

Piloting the Jaeger were the Gage twins, Bruce and Trevin. Both were outstanding pilots and had known considerable success piloting the almost unwieldy Jaeger. 7,775 tons didn't move around easily, but the Gage twins worked seamlessly to achieve victory with every Kaiju they clashed with. They were the best that Stacker could ask for.

"LOCCENT," came Trevin's voice from the transmitter on the console. "This is Romeo Blue, testing connection from the conn-pod, do you read?"

"Loud and clear, Romeo Blue," the Ops responded from his position at the console. "All systems are green, neural bridge is stable, you are ready for action."

"Copy that, LOCCENT. Let's hope the Kaiju is in the mood to tango."

Stacker leaned down to the transmitter.

"Romeo Blue, this is Pentecost. Be advised, this Kaiju has pincers attached to the end of its primary arms. Don't let it catch hold of you. If that monster gets inside the miracle mile, the damages could be devastating."

"Noted, sir," came Bruce's voice over the static. "Although, I very much doubt it'll wanna grab onto us after we knock a couple fillings loose."

Stacker inwardly smirked. Mako smiled next to him. Although Romeo Blue was slowed down by its immense bulk, it made up for it by using that bulk to batter its opponent into submission. When a blow from the Jaeger landed, it landed hard. Stacker recalled when Romeo Blue had fought the Kaiju, Hardship. It had killed it by using a piece of a bridge as a club. Reports showed that the finishing blow had not only cracked the Kaiju's skull, but had also shattered at least three vertebrae at the base of the neck.

In short, the Jaeger packed a punch.

Stacker hoped that it would be enough.

"LOCCENT, we have visual on the Kaiju. It's already made landfall."

Not good.

Stacker immediately turned his attention to the viewing screens located above him. Both the Jaeger and the helicopters were equipped with video cameras to give a visual and record for later study. Stacker watched as the Kaiju, Sheargrip, came into view. It was waiting for them.

Every time Stacker saw one of those monstrosities, his stomach dropped. He despised that reaction, even though it was only natural when staring at a colossal doomsday monster.

It's hide was a dark gray, accentuating its piercing blue eyes that stared with malicious intent at the Jaeger that was approaching it. Stacker saw it flex its pincers a few times in anticipation.

Thankfully, the Kaiju had not reached the city yet. If Romeo Blue could dispose of it not, casualties could be minimized.

Trevin's voice came through.

"Romeo Blue reaching the target zone! Disengaging transport!"

The massive Jaeger then fell from its restraints, landing hard on the Earth beneath it.

"Engaging!"

The hulking metal behemoth then stood up and charged at the Kaiju, which ran forward in return.

Romeo Blue drew its arm back as it ran, then jumped at the last minute and slammed its fist down hard on the beast's head as they met. The Kaiju roared in pain and stumbled hard under the Jaeger's crushing blow. Stacker glanced over to Mako and saw that she was watching intently.

Romeo followed up by catching Sheargrip under its jaw with an uppercut as it stumbled down. The monster's head snapped backward, and the force of the blow caused it to stagger backward as well.

"Yeah! Eat it, ugly!" came Bruce's voice from the conn-pod.

"Sir!" The Ops cried out. "I'm reading some sort of anomaly near the combat zone!"

Stacker immediately turned to the Ops. "What do you mean anomaly?"

"Sir, it's…it's like a miniature breach! Its energy signature matches closely with interdimensional waves that are emitted when the breach opens. Only now, it's smaller, barely even human-sized!"

"Ignore it," Stacker said. "The equipment may be faulty."

The Ops seemed hesitant but nodded once and returned to the console.

Stacker turned his attention to the screens. At the very corner, Stacker thought he saw a flash of blue appear for a moment, but he dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"You saw it too," Mako said next to him.

"Faulty equipment, Mako," Stacker said. "We must focus on the task at hand."

Mako bowed her head for a moment. Then looked back up at the screens.

Sheargrip had recovered from the initial blows. With an agitated roar, the monster threw itself against the Jaeger and drove against the massive weight. In response, Romeo Blue planted its feet and balanced as the Kaiju continued driving against it with its bulk.

"Piledriver!" Bruce yelled over the COM.

Stacker watched as the Jaeger brought both of its arms above its head, then drove them down hard onto the Kaiju's back. Sheargrip's legs buckled under the force of the impact and the beast went down. The two colossal fighters skidded to a stop. Stacker allowed himself a sigh of relief.

"LOCCENT! We've got 'em on the ropes now! All that's left is—"

The twins were abruptly cut off as Sheargrip reached out and clamped Romeo's left arm in one of its pincers. It had grabbed just above the elbow, effectivity controlling the limb.

"GAAAGH!" one of the twins yelled as the Kaiju clamped down even harder. Sparks flew from the metal as the arm began to give.

"LOCCENT! The left arm is compromised! Systems are failing!"

Sheargrip suddenly roared and lashed out with its other pincer. Reaching high, it latched onto Romeo Blue's conn-pod.

"Romeo Blue! Get out of there!" Stacker yelled into the transmitter.

"Conn-pod is compromised, sir!" the twins shouted. "It's coming through the wall—"

What happened next was something out of Stacker's nightmares. Sheargrip bellowed loudly and simultaneously tore through the conn-pod and the left arm of Romeo Blue. The COMs went dead as Romeo Blue fell to the ground, lifeless. Its severed arm landed nearby.

"Romeo Blue!" Stacker yelled. "Romeo Blue, can you hear me?!"

"We've lost them, sir!" The Ops yelled from his seat. "I've got no life signs from either pilot. Neural interface is gone too!"

Mako gasped. Stacker immediately accessed the intercom.

"Mammoth Apostle! Get ready to deploy! We have to intercept the Kaiju to minimize damage."

"Sir! I'm reading neural activity from Romeo Blue! It's faint, but it's there! Once of the pilots must still be alive!"

Stacker whirled around and stared at the screen. The Kaiju had turned away from the fallen Jaeger and had begun lumbering away.

At first, the Jaeger was still. Then its right arm began to move. It was getting up! It was slow going as the heavy machine was attempting to right itself with just one arm, but it soon stood back up on two feet.

"Romeo Blue, what's your status?" Stacker yelled.

"Sir, COMs are still dead. They were knocked out when the hull was compromised."

Stacker shook his head and took a good look at the Jaeger on the screen. Not only did it only have one functioning arm, but it was also missing half of its conn-pod. The top of its head was completely sheared off, giving a full view of the pilot house inside.

Stacker squinted to try and get a good look at the remaining pilot, but the picture was too grainy. Stacker realized that with one of the twins gone, the other was now piloting Romeo Blue without help from a neural link. Attempting to pilot one of the heaviest Jaegers in existence solo was suicide. In fact, the simple task of getting up was an impossibility in its own right. It was doable in a lighter Jaeger, but with Romeo Blue's weight, the mind would snap under the load. And yet, somehow the Jaeger was standing.

Stacker accessed the COMs.

"Helicopter pilots, what do you see? Who's piloting Romeo Blue?"

The pilot's voice crackled over the radio.

"Sir, it's not one of the Gage twins. Whoever it is, he's wearing some kind of suit that isn't ours."

"It can't be," Stacker said back as the Jaeger took a few test steps forward. "Piloting the Jaeger would be impossible without the suit. There's no way to interface!"

"I can't see much detail, sir!" the pilot said back. "But he's definitely hooked up. His suit must be able to connect with the Jaeger."

By this point, the Kaiju had become aware that the Jaeger had righted itself. At first, it a look of surprise seemed to be on its features, but it quickly got over it. Sheargrip turned with an almost annoyed bellow and faced Romeo Blue yet again. Suddenly, Romeo Blue charged forward again.

It was faster, way faster than before. Romeo Blue's lumbering slowness had been its trademark since it had been first launched, but now, its movement seemed to be on par with a Mark-lV Jaeger, at least. In fact, Stacker thought it may now even be as fast as Striker Eureka, the first Mark-V Jaeger that had launched not one year ago. A Mark-l now had speed on par with a Mark-V that was a _sixth_ of its weight. How was that possible?

"Sir! You're gonna want to see this!" the Ops yelled.

Stacker turned away from the screen for a brief second and stared at the console. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Neural activity was off the charts. Information from the Jaeger to the pilot was flying back and forth in droves. Stacker's eyes widened in surprise. That should not have been possible.

During the first testing of the neural bridge, experiments had been conducted on the possibility of connecting not just two, but three, four, or even five minds at once. That had been proven dangerous, as the flood of memories and events quickly overwhelmed the subjects, but neural capacity had exponentially increased with each mind that was added to the pot. And from what he saw on the screens, Stacker guessed that it would take no less than six minds working together to rival what he was seeing. And yet, it was all being done by one mind alone.

Whatever what piloting that Jaeger, it was no ordinary human.

Stacker watched as Romeo Blue reached the Kaiju and punched the creature square in the jaw, with its remaining fist. Stacker swore he could feel the shockwave through the video feed.

The beast bellowed in agony and staggered backward, but Romeo Blue didn't let up. Using its newfound speed, the Jaeger reached out and grabbed Sheargrip's right arm with its own. The Kaiju was still concussed from the first punch, so Romeo Blue had little resistance as it pulled the right arm across the monster's body. With a heave, Romeo blue shoved the open pincers around the beast's left arm, clamping the monster's left arm tight between the pincers.

Stacker heard the Ops mutter something. "He can't possibly be…"

Raising a fist high above the its body, Romeo Blue brought thousands of tons of force down on top of the pincers, which closed around the Kaiju's left arm and sliced it clean from its body. The Kaiju screamed and blood poured from the wound as the left arm landed on the ground with a massive thud.

"Holy fuck…he did," the Ops' jaw dropped open and stayed there.

Stacker's eyes widened. A move like that had never been attempted by Jaeger pilot in the history of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. To use a Kaiju's own body against it, that was unheard of. His eyes widened further when he saw that Romeo Blue was only getting started.

Next to him, Mako had taken out a notepad and was now furiously scribbling notes down.

With its one remaining arm, the Jaeger reached down and picked up the Kaiju's dismembered limb. Sheargrip tried to reach out and stop it, but the Jaeger was too fast. Clutching one end, the Jaeger swung the meaty arm in a wide arc that struck the Kaiju on the side of the head. The weight of Romeo Blue's arm combined with the weight of the makeshift Kaiju club was enough to knock Sheargrip off its feet. The Kaiju screamed and fell onto its side, not even having time to land before Romeo Blue was upon it again.

Stacker watched in a mix of awe and shock as the Jaeger struck the downed Kaiju with its makeshift club over and over again. Each time the Kaiju tried to stand, the Jaeger hit it with another earthshattering swing. Sheargrip tried to shield itself with its other arm, but a few hits from Romeo Blue broke its shoulder and forearm, and now the limb flopped around on the ground, useless as the Kaiju took blow after repeated blow.

For the first time, Stacker almost felt sorry for the giant monster. He had never seen one brutalized in such a way before. When the Jaeger's fought against the Kaiju, the battle was usually down to the wire. Never before had it been so one-sided like this. The Kaiju's screams of agony began to grow weaker.

After a few more blows, Romeo Blue switched its grip on the arm, such that the pincers were open and facing downward towards the Kaiju.

Right above its neck.

" _Maji_ …" Mako said from beside him.

With a final heave, Romeo Blue brought the arm down hard, clamping the Kaiju's neck tight between the pincers. The beast didn't even have enough energy to scream.

The Jaeger than swung its foot back and then crashed it hard into the claw, closing the pincers shut once more. There was a sickening noise of flesh being sliced apart, then the kaiju's head detatched from its shoulders. It rolled a small distance away from the body, and then fell still.

The shatterdome fell silent.

Then all at once, everyone cheered. A great roar of victory reverberated from the walls of the shatterdome. Another Kaiju had been defeated, and that meant that humanity would live to see another day. Stacker stood tall for a moment, allowing the thrill of victory to wash over him, but then spared a moment of silence. They had lost another Jaeger team today, and the damage done to Romeo Blue was nigh unsalvageable. With great victory, great sacrifice had been paid.

Stacker looked at the screens again. Romeo Blue was now bending over and examining the Kaiju's carcass, and Stacker saw just how much damage had been sustained during the fight. In addition to missing an arm and half of its conn-pod, there were also dents and gouges where the Kaiju had landed a few glancing blows during the battle.

Stacker addressed the helicopter pilots over the COM.

"Pilots, link up with Romeo Blue and bring it back here. It's time we asked a few questions."

…

A chorus of cheers and applause greeted Romeo Blue has the helicopters set it down in the shatterdome. The noise of applause continued as what was left of the conn-pod was disconnected from the Jaeger and transferred to the staging area. Stacker was waiting there. Mako stood beside him.

When the conn-pod arrived, Stacker got an up-close view of the pilot for the first time.

The helicopter pilot had been correct, this figure was dressed in a dark green suit of armor that showed no skin at all. Its helmet was also opaque, so Stacker couldn't see its face either. The pilot eyed Stacker as it stepped out of the conn-pod.

Stacker stood still with his hands behind his back. Mako clutched her notebook to her chest. She looked as though she was staring at a rock star or superhero. Stacker supposed she probably was.

"I am Marshall Stacker Pentecost. This is Miss Mako Mori." Stacker gestured to Mako, who bowed her head politely to the pilot. Her eyes never left its form.

"There are a few things we need to discuss…"

…

Stacker assessed the information he had been given. Attempting to get any information out of the pilot proved to be troublesome as it didn't speak at all. Therefore, their line of questioning was rather limited to yes or no questions only. At first, he considered using the drift to see the memories of the pilot, but given the massive neural power that he, Stacker had learned that it was a he, emitted, a normal human brain could not handle the load. After nearly two hours of questioning, Stacker had learned that the pilot had come from another dimension, but not the same dimension that the Kaiju had come through. His means of doing so was a breach-like tech that had been built into his suit. Though he could activate the breach, he had no control of where it took him. He was effectively dimension jumping willy-nilly in the hope that he could get back to his own dimension.

In exchange for his information, Stacker and Mako had told him of all that had occurred since the Kaiju had first arrived. The breach, the Jaeger Program, the growing frequency of Kaiju attacks, all of it had been laid out for the pilot. Upon hearing the story, the pilot seemed not that disturbed by any of it, which caused Stacker to question if such dire situations were "normal" to him.

Once all the necessary questions and information had been drawn from him. Mako had eagerly taken control of the conversation and was now questioning the pilot on his fighting techniques as well as how he had made Romeo Blue so agile all of a sudden. Her progress was limited again due to the barriers in his communication abilities, but Mako's enthusiasm did not waiver. Stacker was certain that she could have asked the pilot questions all day long, but they did not have time for that. He let her have her fun for a few minutes more before stepping in.

"As for the events that transpired today, it's obvious that you would make a formidable asset against the growing threat of the Kaiju. I'm extending to you an offer to stay with us and help us fight against extinction."

The unnamed pilot shook its head no. Stacker's heart sank.

"I understand, there is evil in your dimension that you must return to. We cannot burden you with ours."

Mako appeared to be downtrodden at the pilot's decision. Stacker couldn't blame her. This pilot had the mental capacity to make their slowest Jaeger into their fastest. He could only imagine what he could do in a Mark-lV variant.

"Before you go…" Mako said. Her voice shook slightly. "I…maybe you could show us a few rounds in the simulator? Just to help us understand your techniques a bit more?"

Stacker wanted to reprimand Mako, but he stopped himself. Truth be told, he wanted to see the pilot in action a little bit more as well.

The pilot looked from Mako to Stacker, then nodded its head once. Mako's entire being lit up in response.

" _Domo_ …ah thank you. Thank you!"

The pilot nodded again and stood up from the table. Mako hid her emotions well, but Stacker knew that she was basically jumping for joy as she led the pilot from the room. Stacker smirked slightly and followed.

…

Stacker sighed at the massive crowd that was watching the simulations from the viewing room. He had tried to keep the information quiet, but as soon as word got out that the pilot from Romeo Blue was in the simulator, nearly the entire shatterdome had showed up to watch. Mako was at the front, watching the screens like a kid in the candy store.

So far, the pilot had run three simulations. Each time, he had fought three different Kaiju. So far, he had fought the Category-ll Kaiju (codenamed Ragnarock), and two Category-lll Kaiju, Yamarashi and Knifehead. He was currently fighting Knifehead, and Stacker found himself watching with interest, as this was the Kaiju that had cost him is star Jaeger team, the Becket brothers. All around him, members of the shatterdome cheered, placed bets, and watched with enthusiasm at the show they were receiving.

Interestingly enough, the pilot had chosen the Jaeger, Cherno Alpha, each time that he battled.

"Why does he choose a Mark-l every time?" someone asked from the crowd. "And why Cherno Alpha?"

"Cherno Alpha can deliver very powerful blows," Mako answered without looking away from the screen. "Not quite as powerful as a heavier Jaeger, but still very strong."

"But why doesn't he just use a heavier Jaeger then? We all saw it, he's fast enough even when in Romeo Blue. Why not use it? Or maybe a different heavy Jaeger, like Horizon Brave or Tacit Ronin?"

"It's because of the hands," Mako replied without missing a beat. "Cherno Alpha has proportionally large hands and fingers, allowing him to grapple more. He likes to rip and tear at his opponent."

Stacker nodded subconsciously, Mako was right. The pilot seemed to enjoy mangling his opponents in every way possible. As he said that, the pilot tore one of Knifehead's secondary arms from its body before delivering a solid uppercut to the Kaiju's sharp-ended nose. The beast's head snapped up, and Cherno Alpha followed by punching its massive fist straight into the Kaiju's mouth. Its "roll of nickels" was activated, and the Kaiju reared backward as all of its teeth were shattered.

Using the fist in Knifehead's mouth to hold it steady, Cherno Alpha then delivered one more crushing blow to the speared nose that gave the Kaiju its name, and this time, the nose broke off from the Kaiju's skull. The monster howled in pain, but it came out muffled due to Cherno's fist blocking its airway.

With its other arm, Cherno Alpha picked up the now dismembered nose and stabbed it deep into Knifehead's neck. The Kaiju bucked and tried to free itself, but it was now choking on its own blood. It gurgled and thrashed for a few moments more, then went limp. Cherno Alpha wrenched its fist from the beast's mouth, and Knifehead fell into the water. Dead.

 _Scenario Concluded. Calculating Score…_

The gathering cheered at the victory. Stacker shared their enthusiasm. This pilot was insanely good at killing these things. His methods, however, would have required work, as Kaiju Blue would run rampant across the planet at the rate he made these things bleed. That was not a good thing.

The pilot stepped out of the simulation conn-pod and was instantly surrounded by a mob of shatterdome members. Many were congratulating him or patting him on the back, while others fired a barrage of questions.

Stacker immediately took control of the situation and everyone fell in line under his authority. Stepping up next to the pilot, he addressed the crowd.

"While this pilot's skills are indeed formidable, as well as his unique ability to pilot a Jaeger on his own, I'm afraid he cannot stay."

A murmur of discontent echoed through the crowd, but Stacker silenced them with a look.

"He is from another dimension, and he came here in a way similar to how the Kaiju do, but he is not affiliated with them. His own dimension suffers, and he must return. He only agreed to stay to run a few simulations to help us improve our fighting techniques against the Kaiju. And for that, you have my thanks. You've made us stronger today."

He then turned and offered his hand to the pilot, who nodded and shook it in return. The pilot then took a few steps back and gave the crowd a thumbs up. With a loud bang and a flash of blue light, the pilot was gone.

Stacker turned back to the crowd.

"He may be gone, but our work is far from over. Recall the evacuation, secure the Kaiju remains, and salvage anything you can from Romeo Blue. This war is not over yet."

 _A/N: There's another chapter done. For those that may be curious, "Maji" is a slang word used for disbelief in Japanese. It's similar to "No way". As always, make sure to like the video and subscri- wait... wrong platform. My mistake! (Ok, it's a terrible joke but I felt like making it.) But anyhow, if you love/hate the chapter, please tell me so by dropping a review so I can continue to grow as a writer. Until next time!_

 _-ImpulsiveWeaver_


	15. SCP

_A/N: Ok! Nobody freak out now! Chapter 14 is done, but in all of my attempts to make my format transfer properly to the fanfiction website, the only way that I could get it to work was to give you guys a link. I know that it is not as easy as just reading the page, but I really really wanted it to look a certain way, so I put it in a link for everyone to enjoy instead. (The link is in my profile bio). I sincerely hope that this doesn't tarnish your reading experience, but please let me know if it does! I promise and cross my heart that its just a regular google drive link, not some crazy virus link or something._


	16. Ash vs The Evil Dead

Chapter 15

 ** _A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome back to a brand new chapter in the story of the reality-hopping Doom Slayer! This chapter is actually quite an exclusive one, as it is my very first chapter that holds the title of a sequel to a previous chapter. I know that there are many requests for multiple universes for the Slayer to travel to, but this one was already in the works long before then. But don't you worry, I have received your requests for chapters, and am going to try my damnedest to give you the good stuff. With that out of the way, let's begin! Reminder that none of this is owned by me. None of it!_**

Pablo held tight to the girl in his arms as he rushed to get her to safety. All around him, gunfire mixed with the guttural screams of man and demon in an orchestra of desolation. A not-so-gentle chorus that signified the end of the world.

'This is it,' Pablo thought to himself as he reached the transport. This was the big finale. Kandar the Destroyer had been summoned by the Dark Ones. It was here to test the mettle of man, and so far, man was failing that test. Nothing the military was throwing at it barely made a scratch. In fact, all they were doing was making it angrier and more powerful.

Everything that had happened in Pablo's crazy, messed up life had been leading up to this. Ever since meeting Ash, the constant presence of demons, the evil dead, and talking puppets had definitely left Pablo with some serious issues. He had seen things that no mortal should ever have witnessed, done things that would earn him an afterlife of eternal damnation, and felt pain so excruciating that it made breaking a femur feel like a massage. And yet, if given the chance to do it all over, Pablo wouldn't have had it any other way.

Setting the girl down inside the vehicle, Pablo turned to see Ash, Kelly, and Brandy run up to him. He smiled and felt a touch of elation when he saw Kelly. After everything that had happened, the two of them were finally on a level that Pablo considered a relationship. All it had taken was for both of them to literally go to Hell and back. Pablo's only regret was that it was the absolute worst timing possible. Just when he had finally gotten himself out of the friendzone with her, the world decided to come to an end. The Ghost Beaters always had luck like that.

Kelly smiled back for a moment, but neither of them said anything as Pablo quickly helped usher Brandy into the transport while Kelly covered him. Pablo was about to usher Kelly in next when he heard soldiers shouting behind him:

"Sir! Strike group authorized! They're gonna nuke it!"

"Goddamn it! Not until we're clear! On our signal, you hear me?! On our signal!"

Not good.

"Jefe!"

Ash looked at Pablo, his game face dominating his features. When he made that face, he looked more like a hero than anyone Pablo had ever seen. An indomitable figure that ate Evil for breakfast. A true Jefe, straight out of the stories Pablo's uncle had told him regarding the heroes of old. If only they had a few more of those heroes right now.

"That won't kill it. It's only gonna make it stronger! Bigger!"

Ash nodded, then strode over to the sergeant.

"Hey chief! I wouldn't nuke that thing if I were you!" Ash said.

The sergeant had obviously dismissed Ash's opinion before he even finished his sentence.

"Get your ass in the transport! Or you're on your own, cowboy!" he said. Before Ash could say anything more, the sergeant turned on his heel and jogged away.

Pablo was about to call out when he heard Kelly's battle cry from his left. Ash had heard it too, and he caught Pablo's eye before pointing to the transport.

"Get in there! I'll get Kelly!"

Pablo nodded. That was another one of the things he had always appreciated about Ash. He had gone through so much shit that nothing really fazed him anymore. Every situation was taken in stride, with Ash always knowing what next to do, even if he actually didn't.

Pablo turned and climbed into the vehicle, Kelly quickly following behind as her and Ash returned.

"Dad, get in!" Brandy yelled, holding her hand out to help her father.

Ash took her hand in his, and at that moment, Kandar let out a blood-curdling roar that shook the world to its core. Pablo winced at the noise, but it was quickly forgotten as Pablo noticed a change come over Ash. He had stopped, his hand still in Brandy's, but his eyes looking at the three of them, as though he was coming to a realization.

Pablo stared back incredulously. It's like he was paralyzed. Pablo was about to ask Ash what the hell he was doing, but when Ash locked eyes with him, he understood. Neither of them said a word, but they had both come to the same conclusion. They knew what had to be done. The prophecy had foretold it long before any of them could have hoped to change it, and it stated that Kandar had come to test the mettle of man. And the champion it was to face: Ashley J. Williams.

Pablo almost missed it, but Ash nodded to him in understanding. There was no other way. What was foretold would come to pass, and there wasn't a soul on Earth that could change that.

Letting go of his daughter's hand, Ash reached deep inside his pocket, and pulled out a package. With a toss, Ash passed the bag to Pablo, who caught it in both hands. Pablo frowned in confusion as he stared down at the bag, uncertain of what it was he was actually looking at. It was a small Ziploc bag, and through the clear plastic, Pablo could see several burnt pieces of metal and a folded sheet of paper inside. Despite the weirdness of the contents, Pablo felt a twinge of familiarity at the small package he held in his hands.

His gaze traveled back upward at the sound of Ash closing the doors to the transport. The doors slammed shut with a boom, a sound that suddenly carried more weight for Pablo than he could have ever thought possible.

"NO!" Brandy screamed. She pounded on the door as Ash locked it from the outside. Pressing her face close to the window, Brandy shouted at her father.

"What are you doing?!" she cried hysterically.

Ash gazed at his daughter through the glass.

"My father always said I ran from my fights, Brandy," he said. His tone was firm and decisive. There were no quips to be made right now, not when their time had run out.

"I'm not running from this one."

Brandy said nothing, but frantically shook her head. Hopelessly trying to deny what her father was saying to her.

"Ash, come on! Get in the fucking truck!" Kelly said angrily from the seat across from Brandy. Her voice was angrier than Brandy's, but Pablo had known her for a long time now, and he knew all of her tells. He could see that Kelly was scared. Scared of being dead, scared of Kandar, and though she would never admit it, scared of losing Ash. Her eyes betrayed the same denial and fearfulness that Brandy's did. They had all just been reunited at long last, and now, Ash was about to leave them again.

"Kelly," Ash's voice was calm and level through the walls of the vehicle.

"People are gonna need a strong leader, someone they can depend on. Someone they can believe in."

Pablo saw the weight of realization fall on top of Kelly like a ton of bricks. She knew now that this was the last time she would ever speak to Ash.

"That's you."

Ash looked at Pablo.

"Pablo, you remember what I said? About only using the bag if you were in deep DEEP shit? Now's a good a time as any. The paper inside will tell you what to do."

Pablo's eyes widened as the truth dawned on him. He remembered their conversation in the Delta from what had seemed like ages ago. He nodded once to Ash, who nodded back in confirmation.

"You're the Jefe, now."

Pablo tried to hold back, but tears formed unbidden at the corners of his eyes. He tightened his mouth into a line to try and stem the flow.

Ash gestured to the others in the vehicle.

"You save them."

Pablo looked to the little girl that he had placed in the transport with them. Looking back at Ash, he nodded once more. A gesture that Ash again returned.

"You said you wouldn't leave me!" Brandy pleaded; Ash shook his head solemnly at his daughter's words.

"I'm doing this for you," he said, his voice hitching slightly. "I'm doing it for all of you."

Pablo could see it. Ash's walls were coming down. What he was saying now was coming from the heart and nowhere else.

"I gotta finally, for once, own up to who the hell I am."

Pablo heard the sergeant's voice in the distance.

"Come on! We're leaving, let's go!"

Brandy obviously heard it too, and Pablo could feel her desperation as she placed her hand on the glass that separated her from her father. Ash took in the sight of his daughter for one last time, then placed his hand on the glass too, right across from hers.

With a lurch, the convoy began moving, and Pablo watched as Ash started growing smaller and smaller as the distance increased. Ash watched them leave for a while, then he turned to face the sixty-foot-tall monster that was Kandar.

…

Ten minutes into the ride, and no one had said anything. Kelly had a deep scowl on her face, and if Pablo knew her, which he did, he knew that she was growing more and more frustrated with the fact that she couldn't punch, kick, or shoot her way out of this one. This was no one's fault, and there was nothing she could do.

Brandy was still looking out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of her father over the horizon. They had ridden for a while now, and they couldn't even see Kandar the Destroyer from where they were now.

Pablo stared down at the package in his hands. The small pieces of burnt metal looked like they used to be a part of a mechanism at some point, but they were too mangled and singed to make anything out of it. The piece of paper folded up inside didn't look like anything extraordinary, looking to be nothing more than standard notebook paper. Pablo carefully popped open the Ziploc bag and pulled the paper out, careful not to spill or lose any of the metal fragments inside. After resealing the bag, Pablo carefully unfolded the paper.

A quick glance to his left showed that Kelly was watching him, so he slid over so that she could see it too. Pablo hoped the distraction would help her calm down a bit more, but he didn't have too high of hopes on improving her mood.

After finally unfolding the note, Pablo recognized Ash's untidy handwriting on the page. Pablo read it quietly. Mumbling so that only Kelly could hear him:

 _Well, future Ash! If you are reading this, that means that shit has really hit the fan huh? I mean, let's face it, this is a huge trump card you're holding here. As in, this card is so trumpy that it literally flips the table over and shoots the other player. So, while this may be your big 'get out of jail free' pass, keep in mind that he's probably not going to be happy about this. So, in case you'd forgotten, because honestly, I have no idea how old you are or if you're even in the present, here's how to do the incantation. Step one: throw the grenade fragments on the ground in front of you. Step two: Say the words:_ _ **SISITSU INA QITRUB TAHAZI**_ _. Make sure you say them right! We wouldn't want that kind of fiasco again. Step three: Kick ass. Step four: apologize profusely. And that's it! Good luck!_

Pablo frowned, questions already jumping into his mind. He glanced at Kelly, who had a similar confused look on her face. Pablo recognized the Sumerian words. They roughly translated to: "summon the onslaught". Pablo supposed that whatever the incantation did was not kind to evil, but on the other hand, you still had to speak the language of evil to summon it.

"Apologize profusely?" Kelly asked. "When the fuck does Ash-?"

Kelly's sentence was immediately cut short as the convoy ground to a halt. All at once, Pablo heard shouting and gunfire start up outside the vehicle, but he couldn't see anything out of the window.

"What the hell?" Brandy said aloud. She tried looking through the window at all angles but couldn't see anything. The gunfire then abruptly died, casting an ominous silence throughout the air. Pablo could hear his heartbeat in his ears, and cautiously, he looked out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening outside.

The silence was shattered instantly as a Deadite appeared, screaming and pressing its face into the glass.

"Well, well, well! Talk about fish in a barrel!" the Deadite cackled, pounding on the glass. The glass was strong, but the Deadite was stronger, and the glass began to crack as the Deadite continued to pound.

"Oh shit! Everybody back!" Kelly yelled, aiming her rifle as she did so. In the next moment, the deafening noise of automatic rifle fire blasted Pablo's eardrums as Kelly opened fire through the back window of the vehicle. The cracked glass shattered, and the Deadite convulsed as the rounds tore through its cranium. Kelly continued firing until the Deadite fell backward and out of sight. What Pablo saw next through the window made his blood run cold.

What he saw were more Deadites than he had ever seen. There were hundreds, maybe even a thousand. It seemed like the entire population of Elk Grove had been possessed, and they were all converging on convoy. Fast.

"Oh fuck!" Brandy screamed. "What are we gonna do?"

"I don't got nearly enough ammo to take care of these things!" Kelly yelled, reloading her rifle.

Pablo stared at the approaching horde, then at Kelly and Brandy, then finally down at the package in his hands. He contemplated it for a moment, remembering what Ash had said to him.

 _'Pablo, you remember what I said? About only using the bag if you were in deep DEEP shit? Now's a good a time as any.'_

"Everybody, stay back!" Pablo yelled as he climbed past Kelly to the shattered window.

"Wait, Pablo! What are you doing?" Kelly yelled. Pablo answered her by taking the bag of metal and tossing it out the window at the encroaching horde outside. Still holding onto the paper, Pablo pushed Kelly and Brandy behind him. Just in time too, as the first of the Deadites reached the vehicle and tried to grab at him through the window. Stumbling back and fumbling with the paper a bit, Pablo took one last glance at the growling Deadites, then looked at the words on the paper.

 ** _"SISITSU INA QITRUB TAHAZI!"_**

A bright red light exploded into Pablo's vision, and he grunted and screwed his eyes shut in response. The light persisted, and Pablo could hear what he thought was thunder over the yells and cries of the Deadites outside the vehicle. Suddenly, the thunder faded, but the noise level only began to increase as numerous Deadites began to scream in agony from outside. The red light faded, and Pablo waited for his eyes to adjust. When his vision cleared, Pablo looked out the window again.

The scene before him left him in shock and awe, as he saw a lone figure in the dark of the night. A figure which was currently carving through Deadites with brutality the likes of which Pablo had never seen. Armed with a pump-action shotgun, the figure would alternate between using its weapon and its fists to maul the ranks of the horde. It was difficult to make out any details of the figure in the fading light, but Pablo could see that it was wearing some kind of armor that bulked out its already imposing frame.

As surprised as Pablo was, he had to admit that he had no idea what to expect after he chanted the incantation. For all he knew, it could've opened a portal to the ocean and flooded everything within its vicinity. But as Pablo watched the figure continue to massacre the Deadites outside, he decided that this was much better.

Glancing back down at the paper in his hands, Pablo saw that there had been a post script written in afterthought at the bottom of the page.

 _P.S. Say hello to Metal Guy for me!_

"Metal Guy?" Pablo asked aloud. Kelly came up beside him.

"Metal Guy?" she repeated quizzically, glancing back at the figure with a mix of admiration and awe.

"It just says 'say hello to Metal Guy' at the bottom here. I guess that's probably who that is."

Kelly shrugged.

"Works for me," she said as she reached through the shattered window of the vehicle and opened it from the outside.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Brandy asked, frowning as Kelly stepped outside with her rifle.

"I need to shoot something or I'm going to lose my fucking mind, and until this 'Metal Guy' clears out the Deadites, we aren't going anywhere. So, we might as well help him along."

Pablo found himself agreeing wholeheartedly with Kelly. Ash wouldn't sit around and wait for someone else to save him, so neither would Pablo. Grabbing an extra rifle from inside the transport, Pablo offered it to Brandy.

"Are you coming with us?"

Brandy looked at the weapon for less than a moment before snatching it from Pablo's grasp.

"Fuck yeah."

Pablo nodded and grabbed another rifle and told the others to stay and wait for them to return. The little girl said nothing, but she nodded her head in response. Pablo gave her a high five, then jumped out of the transport and readied his weapon.

Looking ahead, Pablo saw that the Deadites had completely forgotten about them and were now attempting to swarm the Metal Guy, who appeared to be having little to no issues dealing with the horde, but he could only kill so many Deadites at once, and Pablo knew that the Ghost Beaters could lend a hand with that.

"Let's go!" Kelly shouted, raising her rifle and firing into the crowd of Deadites. That was all the encouragement Pablo and Brandy needed, and soon the three of them were mowing down Deadites with their rifles. Meanwhile, Metal Guy continued his onslaught with his shotgun.

Over the course of the next few minutes, the four Deadite killers fell into a rhythm of slaughter. Each finding their own pace as they tore through the incarnations of evil. Metal Guy seemed to notice that Pablo, Kelly, and Brandy were trying to help, and would remain relatively close by as the tide of Deadites continued to surge toward them. When the Deadites got close enough, the three of them were forced to use their fists as well as the butts of their rifles to dispatch of the former humans. Despite their flawless teamwork, Pablo noticed that the rate at which each of them were disposing of Deadites was far from the rate that Metal Guy was running at. Even with their combined kill count, the three of them couldn't hope to compare with how many Deadites Metal Guy was ripping through.

As if to emphasize the point, every time Pablo thought the three of them were about to be overwhelmed, the metal masochist would momentarily pull out a rocket launcher and fire it into the crowd of Deadites, which earned Pablo and the girls a bit of breathing room every time.

As Pablo shot down another Deadite, he tried to use his Brujo Especial abilities to see what kind of creature this was that they had summoned. Was it some kind of neutral demon? A familiar? A weird puppet-thing? As Pablo looked at it under a Brujo's eye, he saw some kind of energy pulsing from Metal Guy in droves. The energy itself was an enigma to Pablo, as it didn't appear to be demonic or mortal in origin. As hard as Pablo tried, he couldn't get a reading on this thing at all. What he did know, however, is that whatever this thing was, he was a force of nature. In addition to the slaughter show he was putting on, Pablo could also feel a sense of incorruptibility emanating from Metal Guy's entire being. He was a hurricane of destruction, and anything evil that stood in his way was promptly obliterated.

Sooner than Pablo thought possible, there were no Deadites left within the area. At least, none alive. Instead, there were now piles upon piles of corpses and severed limbs. Pablo took a deep breath as relative silence finally returned.

'Man,' Pablo thought. 'Imagine if Ash could see this…'

"Oh man! Ash!" Pablo said aloud, drawing the attention of Kelly, Brandy, and Metal Guy.

Pablo ran over to their armored savior, who had just then been stomping on the heads of a few of the corpses.

"Look…uh…Metal Guy? I'm Pablo and this is Kelly and Brandy."

"Sup," Kelly said with a nod of her head.

Metal Guy said nothing, but wordlessly spared them all a glance before looking back at Pablo.

"Ok look, Kandar the Destroyer is back in Elk Grove." Pablo pointed for emphasis. "And Ash stayed behind to fight it. Against that thing, only Ash stood a chance, but now I think you can help him."

Metal Guy nodded once. He seemed to recognize Ash's name and seemed willing to help.

"I know we are supposed to thank you and stuff like that, but they're gonna nuke the entire area to try and destroy Kandar. We know that's not going to work, so our only chance is for you to help Ash destroy it before they drop the bomb. None of us will make it very far if they do.

Metal Guy nodded once more, then pointed to the convoy, indicating that he wanted them to get up and go. It was an idea that Pablo could definitely get behind.

"Thank you," Pablo said as the three Ghost Beaters ran back to the truck.

Metal Guy nodded once more, then turned and sprinted in the direction of town with a speed matched only by a formula car.

"Do you think he can save him?" Brandy asked hopefully as she climbed into the passenger's seat of their truck.

Pablo climbed in after Kelly and took his position at the wheel. He started the engine.

"From what we just saw, I'm pretty sure that if he can't, no one can."

…

The Doom Slayer ran full-tilt as Kandar the Destroyer came into view. It was large, but larger demons had fallen before him before, and this one would be no exception. As the Slayer closed in on his prey, he saw that the massive monster was currently inspecting something that it had grasped in its left hand.

It was an assault tank.

Just as the Doom Slayer reached for his weapon, the tank came alive as it fired its main cannon. The projectile penetrated both the lower jaw and chest of the Kandarian Demon, and the beast shrieked in pain and stumbled, dropping the tank to the ground as blood began to surge from its wounded areas. The Doom Slayer stopped short and observed the scene as Kandar fell down onto its knees. There was movement from the top of the tank, and the Doom Slayer turned to see none other than Ash Williams himself poke his upper half out from the top of the turret.

But something was wrong. Kandar was dying, to be certain, but as it began to fall to the ground, the Slayer saw that its corpse would land right on top of the tank. The tank that Ash was currently occupying.

In a flash, the Doom Slayer was running at top speed again. Ash had seemingly realized the danger he was in as well, and quickly ducked back into the armored metal hull for cover. Kandar roared one last time before falling to the ground. The tank was crushed underneath.

But the Doom Slayer did not believe it so. Finally reaching the demon's corpse, he immediately pulled out his chainsaw and began sawing through the now dead demon flesh. Blood and organs spewed forth as the Slayer cut his way further into the body, but he hardly noticed the gore that he himself had grown so comfortable around. After a minute of sawing, the Slayer reached the tank. After sawing out some room to work, the slayer faced the thick steel armor that blocked his access to its interior. Drawing his hand back into a tightly-balled fist, the Slayer plunged an armored hand deep into the outer armor of the tank. When he withdrew his fist, there was now a small hole in the side of the armor. Gripping both sides of the hole, the Doom Slayer pulled his hands apart. There was a great shrieking of metal as the armor yielded to the Slayer's strength, causing the hole to grow wider and wider as he slowly tore through the metal. At last, the Slayer made a hole large enough to fit through, and he wasted no seconds in going inside to retrieve Ash.

Inside, he found Ash barely conscious, but uninjured. The man had aged quite a bit since the last time the Slayer had seen him, yet he only recalled it being no more than a few days since they had last met. No matter.

Grasping Ash firmly by his collar, the Slayer dragged him out of the tank and away from the Kandarian corpse. Ash was barely lucid, but he recognized the Slayer in his half-conscious state.

"Meh-Metal Guy…that you?"

The Slayer continued dragging Ash away from the danger but turned his head and nodded.

"Kick ass…I figurd Pablo wuh…woulda brought you here…"

The Slayer said nothing.

Ash chuckled. "Still the same ol' silent type eh? Leas…Least I know it's really you now. But if I'm being honest, I am slipping a little bit…wake me up tomorrow morning."

Ash then fell unconscious. The Doom Slayer immediately stopped and checked the man's vitals.

"You there! Step away from the Chosen One!"

The Doom Slayer turned to the direction of the voice. Approaching him were four individuals, each armed with rifles, and each one trained on the Slayer. The Slayer immediately stood up. His P.K.E scanner confirmed that they were all human.

"We are the Knights of Sumeria, enemy of evil, and follower of the Chosen One. We do not know who you are, but we can see that you are an ally of Ashley Williams," one of the Knights said.

In the Slayer's experience, never before had he seen knights dress so casually.

"The threat of Kandar and the Deadites have passed, but the Chosen One is in need of medical attention," the Knight continued. "We have medical supplies and can tend to him."

The Slayer examined them for a moment, then determined their intentions to be truthful. He stepped away from Ash, allowing them to step to his aid.

The one that had spoken remained behind. She stepped up to the Slayer. Her face betrayed no fear, and the Slayer assumed her to be their leader.

"I know who you are. You are the Doom Slayer, are you not?" she asked, her voice low so that the other Knights could not hear.

The Slayer nodded once.

"Your name rings in prophecy as well as that of Ash Williams. You are also present in the texts that we have uncovered. You are a worthy ally to our cause against the Dark Ones, but I know there exists turmoil in your own world."

The Slayer said nothing.

"I warn you, the prophecies speak of a great threat in your world. One far beyond anything the Dark Ones may present. If it is not stopped, many worlds, including our own, may be placed at risk. You must return there; they need you now more than ever."

The Slayer looked at her. Then turned to Ash.

"You need not worry about him. The Knights of Sumeria are strong, and we will always aid him on his quest against the Dark Ones. Of this, you have my word."

The Slayer searched her face for any tells of falsehood. Seeing none, he nodded once more and stepped back. Giving her a thumbs up, the Doom Slayer activated the tether and disappeared with a bang and a flash of bright blue light.

 _ **A/N: Alright! There is another one for y'all. I sincerely hope you enjoyed, and please do remember to drop a review to call me out on my work. I'm really interested to see what everyone has to say about the dynamic of sequel chapters in the story as opposed to having the Slayer just jump to a new universe every time. Let me know! I'll see you all next time.**_

 ** _-ImpulsiveWeaver_**


	17. Interlude ll

Chapter 15.5

 **TIME: DATE STAMP [[ERROR]] ANOMALY\ Revised date estimated 0450, September 12, 2552, captured Covenant flagship Ascendant Justice, in Slipspace en route to Eridanus system.**

Dr. Halsey worked tirelessly in her own little world on the now human-covenant hybrid ship. Halsey supposed it wasn't actually a hybrid, but more of a forced meshing of the Covenant Carrier, Ascendant Justice, and the UNSC Frigate, Gettysburg. Cortana had done a fine job of dispatching the engineers they had found to mate the two ships together in the time of crisis. That gave Halsey one less thing to worry about.

Kelly was currently recovering from the treatment Halsey had given her. Halsey would insist that she remain in bed until a full recovery could be achieved, but she knew her words would fall on deaf ears. Her Spartans had always stubbornly refused to take the proper time to recover, and Halsey supposed she should shoulder some of the blame for that. In addition to Kelly, Halsey had just recently performed exploratory surgery on Linda, and discovered that the Spartan sniper's wounds were too severe to patch up. Halsey had immediately ordered Cortana to prepare flash clone transplants for the main surgery that Halsey herself would perform soon.

This temporary lull allowed Halsey to finally return to her project: the data chip that she had received back on Reach. She herself had had little time to examine it, but during a part of her time spent at Castle Base, she had been able to discern at least a few things about it.

When she had first examined the chip, the first obstacle she encountered was that it was designed in a format that could not be used or read by any data-reading devices that existed. Its design was human, certainly not Covenant, but that did not help much, resulting in Halsey spending a considerable amount of time on fashioning an adapter so that she could at least _attempt_ to catch a glimpse of the chip's contents.

The second problem was the sheer amount of data that was stored on the chip itself. When Halsey had first attempted to access it through a computer at CASTLE Base, the device had crashed attempting to access it all. After amping up her processing power, Halsey was finally able to get a look at the contents. What she found was shocking to say the least.

The data on the chip matched the framework of an AI.

The discovery did not surprise Halsey that much. She had had her suspicions ever since that reality-warping stranger had given it to her after she had given Noble Team the AI, Cortana. No, the surprise came when she examined the computational algorithms that constituted the AI. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

To say it was different than the AI she was used to seeing was the understatement of the century. In terms of autonomy, this AI would have been classified as "smart" in a heartbeat. In fact, Halsey believed that this AI might merit a whole new status as to just how "smart" it was. To begin, Halsey had first examined its internal framework, and she discovered that the organization of the AI's computational processes were not at all like that of the Riemann matrix used to construct the smart AI in her universe. Instead, it constructed itself in a manner that Halsey would quickly call a more organized and efficient version of the Riemann matrix. Generally, when smart AI were created from the scan of a human brain, all of their processing systems and memory storage were more or less laid out like that of their original human template. What Halsey was quickly realizing, however, was that this AI utilized a far superior format for the core layout. One that maximized memory as well as greatly cut down processing time. Had she enough time, Halsey could've spent days on that subject alone.

The next thing she noticed was the sheer amount of data that constituted this AI. The amount of code and algorithms that made up its consciousness and systems was nearly twice as large as that of a regular AI. Halsey hypothesized that to bring this AI up to full functionality without having to suppress some of its systems would take nothing short of a literal miracle.

Without even doing any calculations, Halsey knew that it would take at least a mile of processors and cooling systems to even come close. And even then, it might not be enough.

With her limited time in CASTLE Base, Dr. Halsey had quickly devised a modified crystal chip with Kalmiya's help that could store the vastness of the AI. After that, she had transferred the AI's entire consciousness from the original chip to one that she could finally plug into the network at the base. But before she had the opportunity, they had been forced underground.

Now, despite the terribly small amount of time she had, Halsey had the opportunity to learn what she could from actually talking to the AI. The details of her escape plan were already being set in her mind, and she knew that she would not get another chance like this for a long while. She was also acutely aware that Cortana was watching her, but she hoped that her "daughter" AI wouldn't mind sharing the ship's systems with this new AI, or at least, what little of this AI that the two combined ships could bring to life.

Halsey took a deep breath, then plugged the data crystal into an access port in the medical bay. At first, the lights on the ship dimmed slightly as the load of the AI spread into the network. Cortana's voice spoke up into the medical bay.

"Seriously? Just how much is there of this thing? Even with both ships, this is getting pretty cramped."

"It's just for a minute, Cortana. Standby in case I have to terminate it. I have to try and get as much out of this as I can—"

" _Hello_."

Both Halsey and Cortana fell silent.

 _"I am VEGA. The sentient intelligence assig—"_

"VEGA, I am Dr. Catherine Halsey, you may address me as Dr. Halsey. The AI you are currently sharing this network with is Cortana. You will forgive me for being direct, but our time is short. I have questions for you, and we have no hope of helping each other until you answer them."

There was a brief moment of silence. Halsey could feel herself almost shaking with excitement. Despite her longing for time to do what she wanted with this AI, she knew that she was making the right decision.

 _"I understand, Dr. Halsey. I am ready to begin."_

Halsey felt her heart skip a beat. The AI was cooperative. Thank goodness for that. A hostile AI of that magnitude could've spelled doom for the entire ship. Had it turned hostile, Halsey wondered if even her and Cortana working together could have stopped it.

As Halsey began her questioning, she already knew what she had to do next. She would have to deliver the AI to ONI, for they would know best on how to utilize it against the Covenant. This AI was capable of almost twice that of a regular AI, and Halsey knew they would find a way to benefit humanity through it. Even if their methods were morally questionable. After all that Halsey had done, who was she to judge?

She knew that she would have to give the AI to John. He would have to deliver it to ONI, as Halsey had no intention of going back to Earth. There were other things that required her attention instead of heading home. John already had to deliver her report on the Flood anyway, and Halsey quickly remembered that there was still the issue of that as well. John would have to make a decision when she called him in. His final lesson from her was about to begin…

 ** _A/N: So, in case some of you are confused, this takes place between the events of Halo: CE and Halo 2. More specifically, it takes place during the events of the novel: Halo: First Strike. I highly recommend the book, it's a great read!_**


	18. Goblin Slayer

Chapter 16

 _ **A/N: Uh oh! What's this? I'm back? Aw yeah! Ok, so first thing's first. I definitely owe everyone an apology for the massive dry period you just endured between chapters. My absence was due to me being out of town for a while, and I had no access to my story writing material. So from the bottom of my heart, I apologize. Now, without further ado, please welcome the next installment of the story! This time, the slayer of Doom is about to meet the slayer of goblins, with the next chapter thrusting him into Goblin Slayer! Enjoy, and remember that I don't own any of these characters or franchises.**_

The young Priestess took a moment to survey the entrance of the cave located just over the hill. As typical of a goblin nest, there was a guard posted at the entrance. Three guards actually, which was typically indicative of a rather sizable horde within. The guards themselves seemed bored, and one of them yawned loudly, causing the one in charge to slap him on the back of the head. Priestess watched closely, but her mind was deep in thought.

Yet again, Goblin Slayer had accepted another goblin quest without consulting the rest of the party, and now the five of them were about to enter the cave that the quest-giver from the nearby village had mentioned. Priestess was irritated that Goblin Slayer had accepted the quest without at least talking with her about it beforehand. She was even more irritated by the fact that even if she chose to sit it out, Goblin Slayer would just go on the quest without her, an outcome that she detested even more. That was one of his quirks that annoyed her to no end.

Priestess sighed and slightly shook her head. Despite Goblin Slayer's tendencies, he had changed quite a bit since the two of them had formed an adventuring party. Even though 'I see…' and 'Is that so?' still permeated his vocabulary to an exasperating degree, he now was giving more than just one-word answers when someone asked him about his day or tried to start a conversation. Baby steps to be sure, but steps nonetheless. She'd like to think that the entire party had a hand in helping him improve.

The Priestess glanced sideways at that thought at the rest of the party who crouched beside her: Lizard Priest, Dwarf Shaman, and High Elf Archer. Each of them was a different race and a different class as well. Together, they formed a very well-rounded adventuring group, and Priestess was extremely thankful to have them all by her side.

"Milord Goblin Slayer," Lizard Priest whispered, his voice ever polite despite his hushed tone. "You say that this horde of goblins is rather numerous?"

"Yes," Goblin Slayer replied in his typical stoic demeanor. "Whoever wrote out the quest specified that the nest was large."

"Are you sure that we don't require any reinforcements, Bread Cutter?" Dwarf Shaman asked with a raised eyebrow. "If their number is so great, then perhaps there may be a few goblin champions among their ranks."

Priestess shivered at the thought of a goblin champion. She recalled the time not so long ago when Goblin Slayer and she had nearly lost their lives to one. She still had the occasional nightmare about it.

"The passageways will be narrow within the cave," Goblin Slayer replied without looking away from the entrance. "A goblin champion will be cramped and unable to move effectively. We will have the advantage."

"And what if they _aren't_ narrow, Orcbolg?!" High Elf Archer hissed back. "What if there is an ogre in there? Last I checked, you don't have another Gate scroll linked to the bottom of the sea to help us out like last time!"

Goblin Slayer was silent for a moment, then replied, "If there is too great a threat, then we retreat and plan accordingly."

High Elf Archer seemed surprised by his words, and Priestess was as well. Goblin Slayer rarely ever considered retreating, even in the most impossible of odds. This caused Priestess to smile slightly. The fact that he even considered retreating as a viable option showed just how far he had come in caring for the others in his party, and she was very happy to see his progress in action.

This seemed to satisfy High Elf Archer as well, and she nodded once before turning back to the entrance.

"Wait, what's that?" the elf said suddenly, squinting toward the entrance. Priestess strained her eyes as well but saw nothing apart from the goblins at the entrance. The guards had turned their heads back to the mouth of the cave, as though they had been alerted by a commotion from within.

"What? See something, long ears?" Dwarf Shaman asked with a slight grin.

"Quiet, potbelly!" The Archer said, her features still focused intently at the mouth of the cave. "I just saw something. A quick flash of light, I think. It came from just beyond the cave entrance. I also heard a slight 'pop' or a 'bang' of some kind…"

"It could be a goblin shaman using a fireball spell," Goblin Slayer said. "but it is unlikely."

Priestess nodded her head in agreement. If there was a shaman in their ranks, then there would have been totems placed out in front of the entrance.

He turned his head to High Elf Archer, his expression ever-unreadable behind his faceplate.

"Can you kill all of them in a single shot?" he asked. The elf looked down at the half-attentive goblins, then shook her head.

"The angle is wrong. I can get two of them with a single shot, but I'd have to load another arrow for the last one."

"What's the matter, anvil? Losing your touch?" Dwarf Shaman jeered lightly. High Elf Archer's cheeks turned red at his remark.

"I'd like to see you try to take the shot, half-pint!"

"Two is fine," Goblin Slayer said, taking out his sling from his pack. "Take the two on the right, I will kill the last one."

The Archer nodded once, then took an arrow from her quiver and took aim. Beside Priestess, Goblin Slayer took a large rock and loaded it into the sling. Thinking quickly, Priestess spoke up.

"Goblin Slayer! I…I would like to take the shot."

Goblin Slayer stopped his wind up and looked over at her, as did the other members of the party. She couldn't see his face, but that just made him all that more intimidating.

"…Very well."

Priestess felt a swell of pride as he passed her the sling. He knew that she had been practicing, and she had already proven to him that see was capable with the sling. Now, she wanted to show her improvement to the rest of the party as well.

"On my signal," Goblin Slayer said, raising his hand into the air. Both Priestess and High Elf Archer waited patiently, their respective weapons poised.

Half a beat later Goblin Slayer dropped his hand down. Immediately after, High Elf Archer fired, her arrow already curving to strike though one goblin and into the other. Priestess raised her arm and swung the sling, keeping her eyes trained on her target the entire time. As she let go, she watched as he stone sailed toward the goblin, who was still looking inside the cave.

As Priestess watched, her worries grew that her aim was off. The stone looked like it was arching to the right just a bit…

Her worries were proven unwarranted as the stone struck the goblin squarely in the back of the head. Since the creature wore no helmet, the rock cracked its skull and shattered the base of its neck. The goblin let out a small croak of surprise before it fell, dead before it had even hit the ground. As for High Elf Archer, her arrow had already pierced clean through her first goblin target and buried itself into the eye of the next as he turned to look at the commotion its comrades were making. The arrow itself pierced deep into the goblin's head, and it fell almost as quickly as its compatriots. The guards had been neutralized.

"Oh-ho! It certainly seems that someone has been practicing their marksmanship!" exclaimed Lizard Priest with a tone of praise.

"I'll say!" chimed in Dwarf Shaman. "In fact, I think a certain long-eared member of our group could learn a thing or two from you!"

High Elf Archer rolled her eyes but still turned to the Priestess and gave her an approving nod.

"Well done," Goblin Slayer added. "Now, we kill the goblins."

With that, Goblin Slayer climbed down the hill they had been hiding behind.

"Well now, a compliment from Beard Cutter most definitely means you did well!" laughed Dwarf Shaman as the rest of the party followed.

"I killed one too…" grumbled High Elf Archer from next to the Priestess. "Two in fact."

Priestess gave her an apologetic smile.

As the party approached the cave entrance, Priestess saw that Goblin Slayer was already double-checking that the goblin corpses were actually dead. Taking each of their weapons, Goblin Slayer stabbed each of them solidly in the chest, counting the bodies to himself.

"Three…"

Priestess knew what came next: it was time for them to mask their scent, as goblins had an excellent sense of smell. They had an especially keen nose for women and elves, making it all the more imperative for Priestess and High Elf Archer a conceal their scent. Unfortunately for them both, doing so meant that their clothing was very quickly going to get a makeover.

High Elf Archer knew what was coming as well, as she had been along on numerous goblin-slaying quests by now. Priestess was well-used to it, but High Elf Archer still complained quite a bit at this part.

"Orcbolg! If you keep insisting that I cover myself in disgusting goblin blood, you can at least let me do it by myself!"

"I doubt you will apply enough," Goblin Slayer replied coolly, removing a hand cloth from his pack as he did so. The High Elf Archer stamped her foot in response.

"I think you secretly enjoy making me ruin my clothes every time we go on a quest!"

"What would I enjoy that?"

High Elf Archer sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Never mind, let's just get this over with."

A few minutes and quite a bit of goblin inards later, Goblin Slayer was satisfied that goblins would not pick up their scent.

"This is so disgusting," High Elf Archer bemoaned as she stared at the blood splotches all over her clothes.

"On the bright side, long ears, you probably smell better than you normally do right now!" laughed Dwarf Shaman.

High Elf Archer looked like she was about to retort when a muffled bang sounded from the cave, causing everyone to stop and listen. Shortly after, another bang sounded, followed by another, and another…

"I certainly don't think this is the work of a shaman," said Lizard Priest as the banging continued at random intervals.

"No," said Goblin Slayer. "It's not."

Silently, Goblin Slayer lit a torch, and the party entered the mouth of the cave. The banging continued every now and then, but it wasn't getting any louder.

"Whatever is causing this must be traveling deeper into the cave…" noted Dwarf Shaman.

Priestess was so focused on listening to the noise that she nearly bumped into Goblin Slayer when he stopped in front of her. Stumbling slightly, she composed herself glanced questioningly around is armored bulk.

In the relatively dim torchlight, Priestess's eyes opened wide to see the ground ahead of them littered with goblin corpses. To call them corpses would be inaccurate, however, as none of the bodies before them were whole. Instead, the scene before them depicted a meat grinder. Heads, arms, and legs alike lay haphazardly all across the floor, some still attached to partial torsos, and some scattered alone throughout the tunnel. The lack of whole bodies made it difficult to get a count, but Priestess guessed that there must have been at least twenty dead goblins on the ground in front of them.

"Goodness, it looks as though there was a massive explosion in here," exclaimed Lizard Priest, noting that the signs of carnage continued beyond the floor. Priestess followed his gaze and saw just what he meant as she gazed upon the numerous fresh blood splatters that painted the walls of the cave.

"I dare say. Whoever did this just may hate goblins even more than you, Beard Cutter!" Dwarf Shaman said as he examined a set of goblin legs that lacked an upper body.

"We'll keep moving," said Goblin Slayer. "There is no need to check the corpses."

Priestess agreed, none of these decimated goblins could still be alive, not when they all were missing over half of their bodies.

As the party continued deeper into the cave, they continued to notice more and more goblin corpses as well as more blood stains on the wall. At one point, Priestess saw the corpse of a hobgoblin. It was easily distinguishable among the other goblins, as while most goblins stood about as tall as children, hobgoblins were much bigger. They stood almost a head taller than most humans, even almost as tall as the lizardmen. However, the corpse that the priestess saw would be about as tall as her if it could stand, a fact which was only true because everything above its stomach had been completely vaporized. Its arms, shoulders, and head were completely absent from the corpse, and try as she might, Priestess did not find them anywhere among the other goblin corpses. What magic could have possibly done this? Priestess felt a horrible suspicion that whoever or _whatever_ was responsible also was the source of the banging coming from deeper within the cave.

"My word," said Lizard Priest. "We must have seen at least one hundred corpses so far!"

"Yes," Goblin Slayer replied without turning around. "The nest is far bigger than I thought."

"But…there are no totems," Priestess noted. "and certainly a nest of this size would have more than one hob?"

"A nest this size has a leader," Goblin slayer said flatly. "Yes, there must be more than one hob, and it also means that there is a lord."

The thought of a goblin lord sent a chill through the party. They had all witnessed firsthand just how well goblin lords were at organizing goblins. The attack on the farm had proven that. If there was another one here, just what had the power to destroy its ranks like this?"

"Goblin Slayer, d-do you think that another adventuring party could have beaten us to this cave?" Priestess asked.

"No. There were still guards outside the entrance. Another adventuring party would have killed them as well."

"Just what are you saying this is then, Orcbolg?" High Elf Archer retorted in annoyance.

"I do not know, but whatever this is, it came from inside the cave."

"Inside?" inquired Dwarf Shaman. "As in maybe a goblin champion turned against the rest of the horde and killed them?"

"Not likely. Goblin champions do not inflict destruction on a level like this. Their weapons crush and slash, but even then, they do not have the capabilities to cause the damage we have seen."

"Then…then this is some form of magic?" Priestess asked again.

"I don't know."

…

After another minute of walking, the sporadic banging finally seemed to be growing louder. In addition, Priestess noticed the time between bangs had also begun to decrease. She began to get more nervous as the banging almost seemed to get angrier and angrier.

Suddenly, the banging stopped. Everything was silent for a moment, but as Priestess's ears adjusted, she began to pick up the sounds of goblin cries and screams from just up ahead.

"They are fighting," said High Elf Archer. "The main cavern must be in there; I can hear echoes off of the walls. It's big."

"Any hobs or champions?" asked Goblin Slayer. The group stopped with the cavern just ahead.

"Yes, m-many. Wait, no. Just a few now," High Elf Archer replied.

"Alright, we go quietly now," Goblin Slayer said as he extinguished his torch. The party was cast into darkness, but Priestess could see a light ahead in the main cavern.

Silently, the party approached. When they reached the entrance, the light showed a bit brighter, and Priestess was mystified by what she saw.

The main cavern itself was indeed large. The circular wall stretched far around to the left before curling back around to the right, leaving no corners anywhere. The floor of the cavern itself was littered with the bodies of goblins, all of which were in the same condition as the ones they had seen before. Among them were the bodies of a few hobs and champions, but the gruesome scene was only amplified by the piles of waste and excrement that were found all around the edge of the cavern. Priestess payed them little mind however, as the scene in the center of the cavern caught her attention the most.

In the center of the cavern, as if on a stage, three figures stood illuminated by the torches on the walls. One of them was easily a goblin champion, recognizable by his massive height and bulky weapon. Even though it was facing away from them, the monster was easily identifiable from its stature alone. Priestess felt a chill down her spine as she recalled her last encounter with a champion, but she forced it down and took in the other two occupants in the room.

The first one was another goblin, except this one looked different from the others. Like its comrade, it too had its back to the group. It looked to be about as tall as a hobgoblin, but it was wearing armor that was far better quality than anything she had seen on a hob. At its side, it carried a long sword, something goblins usually neglected to carry. In addition, the goblin also wore a cloak around its shoulders and what appeared to be a crown on its head. With a start, the Priestess realized just what kind of goblin it was.

"T-that's…!"

"The goblin lord," Goblin Slayer said before she could finish. "They were readying for an assault on the nearby village."

"Like the one before!" said Lizard Priest in a hushed tone.

"Yes."

"But even in a cave like this where they lose their numbers advantage, what could have possibly decimated their ranks so quickly?" asked Dwarf Shaman.

At his words, the Priestess's eyes fell upon the third occupant in the room, which was another humanoid of some sort. Even though it was facing them, she could not quite make out any distinct features, and squinted to get a clearer picture. Before she could get a good look at it however, the figure suddenly dashed toward the nearest goblin champion. Priestess felt her eyes widen as the figure lunged forward and kicked the goblin champion directly in its knee. There was a distinct crunching as the joint shattered, and the goblin champion howled in pain and fell down onto its remaining knee, bringing its head level with the figure.

The figure paused for a moment, and it seemingly studied the massive goblin howling in pain before it. A split second later, the figure raised its arm and punched the champion's head from its shoulders. There was a sickening rip as the head tore free from the body, and blood sprayed all over the goblin lord and the figure itself.

The head bounced and rolled a bit more when it hit the ground before coming to a stop near Priestess's feet. She glanced at the head before turning back to the scene with wide eyes.

In the dim torchlight, Priestess was finally able to get a proper look at the figure. Whatever it was, it was clad in a strange dark green set of armor. It wasn't very tall, perhaps the same height as Goblin Slayer if not a little bit taller, leaving Priestess questioning where its strength seemed to come from. A helmet with what appeared to be an opaque glass visor covered the figure's face, leaving her to wonder what race this stranger belonged to. It was tall, so definitely not one of the shorter races like dwarves or rheas, but not tall enough to be a Lizardman. So that that made it either a padfoot, an elf, or a human.

But given what she had just seen, the Priestess wondered if perhaps it was really a demon…

"Such strength!" marveled Lizard Priest as the figure then turned to face the goblin lord.

Oh no.

The situation before them had suddenly changed. The goblin lord was standing still with his sword raised, but in his other hand, he held a limp human girl by her neck. The girl was naked, and Priestess had no doubt that she was one of the girls that had been taken by the goblins. As for the sword, the goblin lord held it poised to snuff out he girl's life at any moment, and it grinned wickedly at the armored stranger before it.

The figure did not move from where it stood, but Priestess saw it clench its fists tightly at its sides. She may not know who this stranger was, but she understood its body language well enough.

It was enraged, likely itching to tear the goblin lord to pieces. But the only thing stopping it from doing so was the goblin lord's blade hovering mere inches from the girl's neck.

Priestess shifted her gaze from the figure to the girl, her eyes wide with fear. She prayed frantically to the Earth Mother to please save the girl, please…please…

There was a flash of movement to her right, and Priestess turned her gaze just in time to see a throwing knife sail through the air. Her gaze continued to follow the knife, which appeared more as a disk as it spun. The goblin lord remained oblivious, still jeering at the figure. His grin suddenly fell as the knife it its mark, burying itself to the handle into the lord's back.

The creature cried out in pain, arching its back and releasing the woman in his grip. Which had proven to be his undoing. In a flash, the figure lunged forward again. With a speed Priestess thought impossible, the figure grasped the goblin lord by its throat and held it up in the air.

The goblin choked and hacked and desperately grabbed at the figure in an attempt to get free, but the grip only tightened. Priestess watched in a mixture of horror and awe as the figure slowly wrapped its fingers tighter and tighter around the goblin's throat. To an observer, it would have seemed that it was slowly making a fist, and the goblin lord's neck was simply yielding in response to its strength.

The goblin lord now thrashed violently in a panic as his spinal cord began to crack and pop. Each vertebra was being forced apart from the others by the fingers of its captor, undoubtedly causing great pain. In addition, the goblin lord found he could no longer make any noise, as his windpipe had been completely crushed at this point. Oxygen had been denied entry to his burning lungs.

A loud crack finally resounded from the goblin's neck, and the creature fell limp. Its arms and kicking legs now hung lifelessly the body. The figure held its grip for a few more moments, then with a slight heave, pulled the dead goblin's head clean from its shoulders. Blood spurted from the nape of the corpse, spraying the figure in a red mist, but it hardly seemed to notice as it tossed the severed head to the side, turning to look at party standing at the entrance of the cavern.

There was a tense moment of silence as both parties stared at each other, neither quite knowing the intentions of the other. Then without saying a word, the figure bent down and wrenched the throwing knife from the corpse of the goblin lord and held it out by its blood-soaked blade.

Without saying a word either, Goblin Slayer strode forward and carefully took the knife from the figure's outstretched hand. Another moment of silence followed shortly after, the two armored figures wordlessly examining each other.

Priestess suddenly felt it before she could see it. A connection had been made. Whatever this figure was, it somehow understood Goblin Slayer, and vice versa. They each understood because they were one in the same. Priestess was not sure how, but she could feel an indomitable aura emanating from the figure in green armor. She was familiar with the sensation, as she had felt it numerous times in her adventures with Goblin Slayer. And now, the Priestess was fairly certain that the two of them felt like they were looking into a mirror. The other party members seemed to notice this as well.

"Well, well, well! I think milord Goblin Slayer has finally found another that speaks his language!" laughed Lizard Priest, tilting his head backward with a genuine smile on his face. The stranger turned its head at the name 'Goblin Slayer', then looked back and tilted its head in what seemed to be…humor?

"Indeed," agreed Dwarf Shaman, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "It's as though they are conveying more information by just staring at each other than they ever could with words!"

"ARRRGGHH! You mean to tell me that there's _two_ of them now?!" High Elf Archer bemoaned, throwing her head back in exasperation. The Priestess tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"Well…maybe there's a silver lining to be found in this?"

The elf said nothing and slumped her shoulders in resignation. The rest of the party approached the stranger, who continued to remain silent.

"Your strength is rather great given your size," exclaimed Lizard Priest looking the figure up and down. "I have never met a race with such power. Are you not human?"

The figure gave a slight shrug of its shoulders. It obviously understood them, but it seemed it was either incapable of speech or just preferred not to speak. The question remained unanswered.

"Well now, I didn't think it was possible to find someone who talks even less than you do, Beard Cutter. But I think we have found someone that takes the cake!"

"Is that so?" Goblin Slayer replied unemotionally, walking past the stranger to the rear of the cavern. Priestess saw a hidden alcove hidden behind a small wooden board that goblins used in place of doors. She had been on enough quests to know what came next. The goblin children had to be disposed of. Priestess felt her stomach churn every time this part of the quest came. She knew it had to be done, but she had always sincerely hoped that there was another way.

Her attention immediately turned to another alcove on the other side of the cavern. No doubt, that was where the goblins kept their breeding stock, and as a Priestess, she was one of the best suited to help them with any injuries they had sustained.

Firstly, Priestess knelt down next to the woman that the goblin lord had used as a hostage. She was still breathing, and she did not seem to have any external injuries. Priestess sighed in relief.

"It's ok," she said softly. "We are going to get you out of here."

She did not know if the woman heard her or not, so she left her with Dwarf Shaman and went to tend to the others. In total, there were five girls captured in the goblin's nest. Thankfully, none of them had sustained fatal injuries, but Priestess did have to use minor heal on one for a deep slash to her midsection. Luckily, there had been no poison in the wound. She then fashioned them some modest clothing using the robe of the goblin lord and other garments lying about in the cavern.

Soon, the party was making their way back to the entrance. Lizard Priest carried two girls under his arms, and the stranger carried three: one on its back and two under its arms. Initially, Lizard Priest had protested against the stranger carrying three girls, but the stranger had silently insisted, and Lizard Priest relented when he remembered the strength the figure possessed.

The party remained silent for the entire journey back to the village.

…

Guild Girl was rather busy at the front desk of the Adventurer's Guild. Many quests had to be filed that day, and she had to work diligently to ensure that nothing was misfiled. So busy was she, in fact, that she did not look up at the sound of the front door to the guild hall opening. It was a busy afternoon, and adventurers came and went, so she could not bothered look up every time the door opened. It was only when she heard the familiar heavy footfalls of a certain adventurer approaching the desk that she smiled to herself and looked up. She had learned to listen for that distinct noise, as it always preceded the arrival of…

Goblin Slayer strode into the guild hall. With him was his usual adventuring party, consisting of the young Priestess, the dwarf, the elf, the lizardman, and…

The receptionist frowned as she laid eyes on a newcomer to their group. It was someone she had not seen before. Not just in Goblin Slayer's party, not just in the guild hall, but not even around town. At first glance, he or she could be mistaken for just another heavily-armored adventurer, but when Guild Girl looked closely at the armor, she saw that it wasn't metal or leather, but some other material that she had never encountered. Not only that, but the armor carried a rather strange design on it, as well as a few other markings that Guild Girl had never seen on any other adventurers. The newcomer gazed around the guild hall, taking in this new place that it had never seen before.

Guild Girl, as well as a few others within the hall were curiously looking in his or her direction, but the stranger did not seem to notice.

As the party approached the desk, Guild Girl shifted her gaze back to Goblin Slayer at the front, and her smile easily returned to her face at the sight of her favorite adventurer.

"Welcome back, Mr. Goblin Slayer. How did it go?" she beamed enthusiastically.

"There were goblins."

Of course, there were. That response from him had almost become a ritual every time she inquired to one of his quests. Guild Girl took out a quest completion report and began to fill it out in preparation for the details from Goblin Slayer.

"How many were there?" she asked, her quill inked and ready.

"I do not know."

Guild Girl frowned and looked up at him. That was very unusual. Goblin Slayer always kept a constant count in his head as to how many goblins he had killed.

"You did not know how many you slayed?"

"We slayed three."

"Only three?"

"Yes."

"There were…only three goblins?"

"No."

"What Goblin Slayer is trying to say…" Priestess chimed in. "Is that we only killed three goblins, and the rest were slain by him."

Guild Girl followed Priestess's gesture and once again found herself looking at the strange newcomer, who said nothing.

"I see…Well, even if this man did slay most of the goblins, I do not believe that he is an adventurer, nor did he take the quest originally. So, the reward for completion still goes to you and your party."

"No. We cannot accept that," said Goblin Slayer. The newcomer immediately shook its head in disagreement with him, however, causing Goblin Slayer to look over.

"Goblin Slayer," Guild Girl chimed in, her voice remaining cheerful. "Even if this man did all the work, I am bound by the rules of the guild to pay the party that the quest was assigned to. You may do whatever you wish with the money, but you must be the one to accept it from us."

"Is that so?"

"That is so," beamed Guild Girl.

…

Priestess watched curiously as Goblin Slayer spoke to the stranger. The three of them were standing on the training ground just outside the guild hall, and the midday sun shone down with intensity.

After the party had filed their report, Goblin Slayer had requested to talk with the stranger and his extremely efficient methods of goblin extermination, which the stranger had wordlessly agreed to. The other members of their party had separated, choosing instead to remain inside the guild hall and enjoy a meal. Priestess was hungry as well, but she chose to remain with Goblin Slayer, as she too was curious about this new stranger.

"In the cave, there were numerous banging noises. Was that your doing?" Goblin Slayer asked, blunt and to the point as usual.

The figure nodded once, and before Priestess's eyes, he produced an object from thin air. Her eyes widened at the sudden appearance of the object, and her curiosity was piqued by the alien appearance of it.

The item itself appeared to be made of a combination of wood and metal. A curved wooden handle seemed to be where the item was gripped, with two metal cylinders protruding outward from the wooden handle.

Before Priestess could visually inspect the object further, the stranger pressed a lever and the item suddenly bent in half, bending around a single hinge that was located almost halfway between the two ends of it. It was then that Priestess saw that the two metal cylinders on the object were hollow, as she could see daylight down the other end of the tubes when she looked through them.

Promptly, the stranger reached behind himself and returned with two small red tubes in his hand, both of which were about as long as a finger while being just a bit thicker. The wood and metal item was still firmly grasped by its handle in his other hand. The figure offered one of the red tubes to Goblin Slayer, who took it without question and examined the outside of it. The stranger continued by taking the other tube and loading it into one of the hollow cylinders on the metal weapon. With a metallic snap, the stranger closed the hinge shut, the tube disappearing from view as it was now locked inside one of the metal cylinders.

The stranger looked around for a moment before settling his gaze on an empty barrel that sat against the wall of the building. There was a moment of silence as the stranger pointed the machine at the barrel, then—

 ** _BOOM!_**

The silence was shattered by the deafening blast as the item kicked in the stranger's hands and released a cloud of smoke.

Priestess instinctively dropped her staff and covered her ears at the piercing noise, but as quickly as it came, the noise died, leaving only its distant echo throughout the village.

Priestess slowly uncovered her ears and stared incredulously at the barrel target, or more specifically, what was left of it.

Whatever the weapon was, it had completely destroyed the wooden framework of the barrel, leaving little more than small planks and splinters as a result.

"I see," Goblin Slayer said. Priestess almost didn't hear him through the ringing in her ears.

Looking back down at the remaining red tube in his hand, Goblin Slayer made to ask another question—

"ORCBOLG! What the hell are you doing out here!? What was that noise?!" screamed High Elf Archer, who had just appeared around the corner and was now gritting her teeth at the two armored individuals.

Priestess giggled at the scene.

…

The most amazing part of the alchemy shop was the sheer amount of variety it boasted when it came to the numerous liquids and powders that adorned the walls. Each was contained in a glass bottle of varying sizes, likely related to the price and rarity of the material inside.

Priestess gazed around the shop as the three of them approached the alchemist at the front desk. She had never actually been inside the shop before, and she likened it closely to a candy shop in terms of color and variety.

After the demonstration of the weapon and a display of how it worked—interrupted only by a half-drunken rant from High Elf Archer—Goblin Slayer and Priestess had discovered that the weapon fired a plethora of small metallic balls at a very high speed. The balls were so numerous and fired at such a high speed that they tore through nearly anything they were fired at. Priestess was surprised that Goblin Slayer wasn't jumping for joy at the prospect of killing goblins with it, but he had remained composed and impassive throughout the entire time. In addition, they had also learned the propellant for the weapon was an explosive grayish-black powder, and at Goblin Slayer's request, the stranger was now accompanying them to the alchemist's shop to help find a way to procure more.

"Well well, if it isn't my favorite gasoline-buying customer! How can I help you?" asked the alchemist in a cheery voice as they approached. The man himself was a bit older and sported a rather lengthy beard. Despite the fact that both Goblin Slayer and the stranger were in armor, the shop owner still spared the stranger a confused glance. His armor was most enigmatic.

"Do you sell this powder here?" asked Goblin Slayer, setting down a small bag on the counter.

"Well, let's see here…" said the alchemist said, finding his glasses and placing them on his face.

Opening the bag carefully, the older man carefully spooned out a bit of the powder into a bowl before examining it carefully. After a few minutes, the man chuckled and shook his head.

"I figured as much. There are only a few types of things that you are interested in. I'm actually quite surprised that you didn't come for this sooner."

"You have it?"

"Yes, I certainly do, but not much. Hardly anybody ever really comes and buys it because there's not much you can do with it. A burning powder? What would anyone ever need that for? Really doesn't have much use apart from a fire starter."

"Can you make more?"

"Afraid not, this stuff I get imported from an alchemist in the capital. Bastard charges me an arm and a leg for the stuff instead of just giving me the recipe so I can make it myself. Enough people ask after it that I need to keep a stock, but I never buy much because the damn prices are so high. All I got is about as much as you have in that bag there."

At his words, the stranger turned and began examining the array of powders on the shelves. Each one was labeled with a name, and they seemed to mean a lot more to the silent stranger than to Priestess. After another minute of looking, the stranger seemed to find what he was looking for. Reaching onto the shelves, the stranger selected three separate bottles and brought them up front. Wordlessly still, he grabbed another spoon and a mixing bowl. Silence fell over the shop as the stranger measured out and mixed a certain amount of each of the three powders into the bowl. He used the spoon with a surprisingly delicate touch, causing Priestess to doubt whether this was the same person who had punched a goblin champion's head off just a few hours ago.

Finally, the stranger seemed satisfied with his work, measuring out a tiny amount of the powder onto the table. Without warning, the stranger took a nearby candle and held the flame to the mix. The powder instantly ignited.

"Well I'll be!" said the alchemist with an astonished shake of his head. "It was just a bit of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter this whole time!"

"How much for these three bottles?" Goblin Slayer asked flatly.

"Tell you what, for these three? Half-price. Call it a reward for saving me from every having to buy it from that capital thief ever again."

"Thank you," Goblin Slayer said, producing the necessary coins from his pocket.

The three of them exited the shop, stopping just outside the door. Goblin Slayer turned and looked at his equally expressionless doppelganger, who stared back. Goblin Slayer nodded.

"Thank you."

The stranger nodded.

Priestess wasn't sure how, but she could feel that so much more than just a simple thanks had been communicated by him just now. It was as though they were speaking telepathically on a level the Priestess could never achieve. She jumped slightly when the stranger turned his head to her, but she smiled and bowed slightly.

"Thank you for helping us!"

The stranger nodded once again, then took a step backward. Facing them, he raised his right hand and closed his fingers into a fist with his thumb excepted. The thumb pointed straight upward, and before the Priestess could ask what the gesture meant, the stranger was suddenly engulfed in a bright blue light. A loud bang immediately followed, and Priestess squinted against the intensity of the blue.

As quickly as it started, the light suddenly faded, but the stranger was gone. Priestess's ears were ringing again, but she was more confused by the sudden disappearance. Had he just used a gate scroll? What was going on?

If Goblin Slayer was surprised by the sudden disappearance, he did not show it. He turned silently to leave.

"W-wait! Goblin Slayer, where are you going?"

"Home," Goblin Slayer said, stopping for a moment and looking at her over his shoulder. Lightly, he patted his pack, which now contained the powders he had purchased from the shop. Priestess was taken aback as she saw a red glint from between the slates in his helmet.

"There are some ideas that I want to try."

 _ **A/N: There it is! I gotta admit, writing this chapter was interesting. When I originally began drafting it, I had no access to the original light novels, and only had the manga and anime to go off. But I ended up finding the light novels and powering through them like a madman. I wanted to make sure that I made the chapter as authentic as possible, so I checked ALL the resources. Even so, I sometimes have a bit of difficulty with truly immersing myself into a universe, so please don't hesitate to point out if a character feels "off" or something doesn't feel right. That goes for all of my writing too. In addition to that, this chapter is very different in that it is the first time that I've thrown the Slayer into Light Novel/Manga/Anime setting. Please let me know what you thought of the chapter, as I am still trying to mesh all the gears together, and any feedback whether good or bad is invaluable. Thanks so much! See you next time!**_

 _ **-ImpulsiveWeaver**_


	19. Gears of War

Chapter 17

 _ **A/N: Heyo! I'm back with a fresh installment of the series. This time, the Slayer has found himself in the Gears of War universe! Not GOD of War, GEARS of War. I just want to clear that up right now. However, please do not be discouraged if you were expecting a God of War chapter, as it is likely to occur in the future. But enough God talk, more Gears talk! Remember that I own nothing, and enjoy!**_

"Baird, any way we can slow this thing down?"

"Oh, it'll slow right down. When we crash."

Marcus Fenix cursed inwardly and held tightly to the console as the Locust barge slammed into the forest floor. The impact jarred the five Gears on board, and all of them were thrown forward as the barge crashed through trees and dirt.

Marcus tucked his head in tight to avoid whiplash. That is, if he didn't get thrown from the barge first and break his back. All of a sudden, the barge listed to the left as the front corner caught in the dirt, launching Marcus from his standing position at the console and into the air.

Marcus saw a brief image of Dizzy tumbling through the air next to him, then the wind was knocked from his lungs as he landed hard on solid ground, the barge skidded to a stop next to him.

Marcus lay still for a moment, mentally checking his body to see if anything was injured. After a brief self-examination, Marcus concluded that while he was definitely going to be sore tomorrow, he was unscathed.

"Oh, man…" Marcus said with a grunt as he pushed himself up. "Everybody still in one piece?"

Marcus looked over his shoulder to see the rest of Delta Squad scraping themselves off the forest floor.

"Uh…" came Cole's voice from behind. He had propped himself up onto his elbows. "I'll get back to you on that."

Before anyone could say more, an intense white spotlight flooded their vision from up ahead. Marcus turned his head to the source and shielded his eyes with one hand to try and get a better look. Against the stark white ambience of the light, he could just barely make out a few silhouettes approaching the wreckage of the barge.

"Hold your fire!" ordered a voice that Marcus was all-too-familiar with. As his eyes adjusted to the light, Marcus saw none other than Colonel Victor Hoffman, his old superior from days long ago. The two of them had shared a very rocky relationship over the years, but personal matters tended to take a sideline when the extinction of your race was imminent. Marcus decided that in his own way, he was happy to see the colonel.

As Marcus's eyes adjusted, he saw Hoffman approach the group.

"Fenix? What in the hell are you doing here?" the grizzled veteran asked. He held his lancer easily at his side, scanning his eyes over Marcus and the rest of Delta Squad as he spoke.

"There's a column of grubs headin' this way, Colonel," Marcus said pushing himself off the ground as he spoke. His chest still ached from the impact. "Let's get out of here, and I'll explain."

Hoffman read the urgent tone in his voice and turned smartly to address the Gears that accompanied him.

"Okay! Mount up!" he barked, his voice never losing that authoritative tone that compelled others to follow his commands. "Get on the radio and warn the fort we've got grubs inbound!"

The Gears immediately stood-to and mobilized for transport. Hoffman turned back to Marcus and offered his free hand, which Marcus accepted.

…

Not another word was said until they were well on their way back to Anvil Gate. The trucks were putting in serious overtime to get them to the fort in time to prepare for the attack.

"It's been a long time, Fenix," Hoffman said from the driver's seat. Marcus sat in the passenger's seat next to him. Their truck was leading in a column, and it bounced and heaved over the gravel road.

"I'm guessin' you didn't come all this way to inquire about my health."

Marcus quickly explained the situation, how it had turned out that his father was alive after all these years of supposedly being dead. How Chairman Prescott had given him the necessary decryption data to access the disk that Hoffman had been holding on to—just before he died.

Soon they had passed through the front gate of the old fort and parked within the garage. Hoffman killed the engine and turned to Marcus; his expression mirrored what he said next.

"Well, Fenix—I have no goddamn idea what to say. And that's a _first_ for me."

Whatever Hoffman had to say next was immediately cut short by as the fort's alarm pierced the air inside the garage. Marcus turned his head to the noise and immediately heard Bernie's voice in his earpiece.

"Contact! Grubs at the front gate! All personnel to stand-to positions!"

Marcus immediately jumped out of the truck. The rest of Delta Squad jumped out of the back and joined him. Hoffman leapt out of the driver's seat with surprising agility for his age.

"I'll fill you in after we've dealt with our visitors!" Marcus said. Hoffman nodded in return. Already turning his head to give orders to the rest of the Gears.

"Load up and meet me at the front gate. I'll be damned if I let these bastards take this fort!"

Hoffman accessed the radio in his ear as he ran out of the garage.

"Bernie, you're on Ops. Get on the PA system and call it out!"

"Okay. Will do," Bernie replied, her thick islander accent cutting through the radio static.

Marcus hastily refilled his ammunition belt, then followed Hoffman to the front gate. Bernie's voice came through again, but this time through the fort-wide intercom.

"All personnel, stand-to! Hold the front gate, we've got a whole grub battalion out there, people!"

Delta Squad fell in behind Marcus as they reached the ramparts overlooking the front entrance. Marcus immediately had to duck as Locust gunfire peppered the space above him. Hoffman took cover beside him.

"Never seen this many of 'em out here before," Hoffman said in an ironically nonchalant manner.

"Well, I think we might have pissed 'em off. We ran into the queen," Marcus said, momentarily peeking over his cover to fire at a drone below. The monster grunted in pain once before succumbing to its gunshot wounds, and Marcus ducked again as its comrades fired on his position.

"She's alive?! Goddamnit—Fenix, any more _shocks_ you want to share with me?"

"Not yet."

Marcus once again leaned out of cover to fire another burst from his lancer. He was rewarded with a dying grunt of a Locust sniper. He looked over and saw Dom, Baird, and Dizzy doing the same. Cole had taken position in the Troika nest and was currently raining fire down into the seemingly endless Locust wave.

"Marcus," Cole shouted over the noise of the Troika turret. "If we don't hold these gates, the grubs are gonna be all over us!"

Marucs didn't bother to respond, choosing instead to focus on dropping as many grubs as he could.

"Head's up!" Baird shouted. "We got Reavers!"

Sure enough, two of the giant flying nightmares swooped down from the sky. As ugly as they were deadly, the two Reavers landed hard, and stood rather high on their tentacles. This give their riders a much better angle at the defensive positions that Delta Squad was in, spelling trouble for Marcus and his team. Reavers were equipped with explosive artillery, which was a formidable weapon to fight against even when it wasn't strapped onto a giant flying monster. Marcus cursed and covered his head as a round exploded nearby. Delta Squad all ducked their heads as well, one member excepted.

"Whooo! Finally, something big to shoot at!" Cole whooped. With a quick turn of the turret, Cole began spewing bullets at the massive monsters, peppering both the Reavers and their riders with a tide of lead.

The creatures from the Hollow screeched in pain and listed sideways, knocking their riders from their saddles. The fall alone wasn't enough to kill the riders, but the massive Reaver body crushed them as it fell to the ground. The threat ended as quickly as it had come, and Marcus smirked at Cole's child-like enthusiasm, as it was not the first time that it had saved his life. The moment was short-lived however as Dom's voice cut across the gunfire.

"Now we got Grinders! Coming in on the left!"

Marcus looked and sure enough, a small squadron of Grinders had appeared from the tree line. Standing roughly eight feet tall on average, each one was equipped with a Mulcher, a heavy gatling gun developed by the COG back in the Pendulum Wars. Like most weapons the COG had manufactured, some had ended up in the hands of the Locust Horde, wielded specifically by the juggernaut Grinders.

"Focus fire!" Marcus barked, ducking back into cover just as the Grinders began their assault. A sea of bullets spewed overhead from the Mulchers they carried, severely discouraging any idea of peeking out of cover again. With a grunt, Marcus pulled a frag grenade from his gear. Without even looking, Marcus tossed the grenade over the wall in the general direction he thought the Grinders were. Today proved to be his lucky day as the grenade beeped for a split second before exploding. Cries of Locust anguish followed shortly after, meaning that the grenade had struck home. The hail of gunfire faltered as well. Marcus once again leaned out of cover to fire only to see what the next wave brought.

"Ah, shit! Siege Beast!"

The Siege Beast, while still a relatively new addition to the Locust's war machines, still adhered to the horrific trend of strapping machinery onto a creature of the Hollow and using it to kill humans. This time, the poor creature had a massive catapult fitted onto its back, and as Marcus watched, the massive catapult cocked backward and fired its explosive ordinance directly at the gate.

"Incoming!" Dom yelled as he dove away from the incoming projectile. As the ordinance struck, Marcus could hear the screeching of metal as the gate yielded to the catapult's explosive power. The doors bent and burned under the stress, but surprisingly held against the bombardment. Unfortunately, Marcus wasn't sure they would survive another hit like that, and the catapult was already reloading.

"Those gates ain't gonna hold much longer!" came Dizzy's voice from over the gunfire. As if on cue, the catapult fired again, an explosive round arching through the air and striking the already damaged doors to the fort. The heat from the resulting explosion caused Marcus to turn away, but he already knew that the gates had not survived that hit. For the first time in the history of the COG, Anvil Gate had been breached.

"Fall back, they've breached the outer courtyard!" Hoffman's voice crackled from the radio. Marcus looked over as he ran and saw Hoffman grab a Gear by his armor and throw him away from the burning gate. "Come on—move!"

Marcus barely listened as Bernie's voice relayed the status over the intercom, focusing instead on rushing to defend the inner gates. Their second line of defense. He quickly regrouped with the rest of the squad above the second gate, and immediately began firing down on the horde of grubs that poured from the hole in Anvil Gate's defenses.

"I thought nobody got past the defenses here!" Baird shouted, making no effort to hide the irritation in his voice.

"They didn't!" Hoffman replied. "But that was the Pendulum Wars!"

"You still got Hammer of Dawn control, Colonel? You know, the big dangerous one?"

"I do, but the targeting system is screwed. We can't risk it."

Marcus didn't bother to look, but he knew Baird was even more annoyed about the Hammer problems than the grubs breaching the fort. Being the resident mechanic on the squad, Baird was always pissed when things broke, and a heavy weapon like the Hammer of Dawn was a huge disadvantage when it didn't work.

"Grappling hooks!" came Dom's voice from next to Marcus. Sure enough, just after he heard it, Marcus saw grappling hooks appear all along the upper wall where they were holding defense. The grubs were trying to overrun their position.

"Like hell, they are," Marcus growled to himself as he fired up the chainsaw bayonet on his Lancer. Shortly after the emergence of the Locust Horde, the traditional knife bayonet on the Lancer was replaced with a chainsaw bayonet in order to better deal with the tough hide on a grub's body. The weapon had proven effective, and now it was standard issue among COG forces. Well, it _was_ standard issue, but nowadays the remainder of the COG took what they could get.

Revving the bayonet to full power, Marcus sawed through the thick rope that constituted most of the grappling hook. There had been a drone attempting to climb the rope at the time, and there was a satisfying thud as the grub fell back to the ground. The rest of Delta Squad was doing the same, but there were more hooks than there were saws to cut them. Some grubs made it up the wall before they could stop them.

Revving his bayonet again, Marcus ran to the nearest drone that had climbed over the wall and sawed through its torso. Blood spewed everywhere as the chainsaw cut through flesh and bone alike, and as quickly as it had begun, the grub was sawed cleanly in half. It gave a choked grunt as it died, but Marcus paid it no mind. He had already moved on to cut the rope that it had used to climb the wall.

The melee ended quickly as Delta Squad cut through the grubs and the grappling hooks, but there was no respite after, as Locust were still coming through the hole in the gate.

"Maulers inbound!"

Of course.

Now coming through the gate were roughly six of the hulking behemoths, each one equipped with a Boomshield and an explosive flail. Each stood just as tall if not taller than their Grinder counterparts and were much wider. Marcus immediately opened fire on the behemoths, but they instantly responded by ducking down behind their massive shields, leaving virtually no openings to shoot at despite their bulk.

"Yo, bitches! Put those shields down and just let me kill ya!" Cole shouted at the slowly approaching Maulers. Marcus spared a glance and saw that the former thrashball player was already swinging a frag grenade in his hand. Even he slung the grenade at the Maulers, Cole continued to taunt the encroaching enemy.

"Hey! I promise I'll kill ya fast! The Cole Train's humane, bitch!"

With comedic timing, the grenade then exploded right in the middle of the Maulers' formation, making mincemeat of all but two of the Boomshield wielding foes. The remaining two Maulers roared with anger at their fallen brethren and rushed toward the inner gate with renewed vigor.

"Come on! Drop 'em!" Marcus yelled as more Maulers appeared through the hole to take the place of those that had fallen.

"Yeah, we're dropping 'em! But they've invited all their cousins!" came Baird's reply as he fired at a Mauler's exposed flank.

The situation was dire, but then again, how many times had Marcus and the others found themselves facing impossible odds? It wasn't like this was anything new. Their death always seemed just around the corner, but this somehow felt different. Anvil Gate was one of humanity's last strongholds, and there was nowhere left to run now.

Marcus took aim at another Mauler, but before he could pull the trigger, a bright red beam burst from outside the courtyard and blew the Mauler to pieces, Boomshield and all. Marcus frowned incredulously at the sight, and as he watched, more beams emerged from outside the front gate, blasting Maulers and Drones alike. In the span of a few seconds, the grub presence was eliminated from the courtyard, and any remaining pieces were decaying rapidly into dust. Likely a side effect from whatever that beam-thing was.

"Bernie! What in the hell is out there?" Hoffman barked into the radio.

"I'm picking up footage now, Vic. I can't see it clearly, but whatever it is, it's killing all the grubs! It's broken their line!"

"Hear that, Gears? We got 'em on the ropes out there! Everyone back to the ramparts! We're burying these bastards!"

There was hardly any hesitation as the Gears rallied and charged back to defend the front gate. Hoffman pulled up alongside Marcus as he ran.

"This another one of your _surprises_ , Fenix?"

"Not this time, Colonel…" Marcus said as they reached the ramparts. Marcus surveyed the scene down below to discover that Bernie was correct. The entire Locust offensive formation had been broken, and now the grubs had turned their attention away from the fort and were all trying to shoot something that Marcus couldn't see. The Siege Beast lay on its side at the edge of the battlefield, damaged beyond repair. Suddenly, Marcus saw a figure burst from behind the toppled catapult and charge headfirst into the Locust Horde. Holding a shotgun in its hands, the figure lunged for the closest group. When it was close enough, the figure fired the shotgun, bursting the skull of the nearest Drone, then grabbed the body before it could fall and hurled it at the others. The body crashed into the other nearby Drones, scattering them and knocking them off their feet. The figure disposed of them as well before turning to the next group.

"Whooo!" Cole piped up. "The Cole Train is gonna have to practice that move for the next highlight reel!"

"This guy's bought us a distraction, boys!" Hoffman yelled with vigor. "Let's finish these bastards while they're down!"

At his words, the Gears rained fire down upon the discombobulated Locust Horde. What followed was nothing short of a massacre. The grubs had been so focused on killing their new foe that they neglected to take cover from the Gears within the fort. The price for their mistake was now being paid in blood as more and more of their number fell dead.

As for the figure, Marcus occasionally glanced its way to see that it was having no issue tearing its way through the grub ranks. It's strength and agility were a force to be reckoned with, and Marcus watched in awe as it easily overpowered and outmaneuvered the grubs with ease.

"Marcus, just what the hell is that guy down there?" Dom asked so that only Marcus could hear.

"I dunno," Marcus replied as he dropped another grub. "But it's killing grubs, so that puts it on my nice list."

"Good enough for me!" Dizzy said from Marcus's other side. Dom didn't seem to share Dizzy's enthusiasm, but he seemed content enough with the answer.

…

The last grub died beneath the figure's boot as it walked through the open gate into the fort at Anvil Gate. Delta Squad, with Hoffman at the lead, walked out to meet it, and Marcus got an up-close look at it for the first time. The gear that it was wearing was different in design than anything Marcus had seen before. Its armor didn't seem all that extravagant, but the helmet it wore gave it a mysterious aura that told Marcus that there was more to this figure than it seemed. The green color of its armor almost made Marcus think it was Gorasni, but even the Indies didn't have gear like what the stranger was wearing.

"Well well, I'd be lyin' if I said I've seen something quite like you," Hoffman said, holding out his hand. The figure took it and shook without a word.

"Not much of a talker? Well…shit. Normally I'd be pissed about that type of behavior, but I can't get too pissed off when you just saved our bacon back there."

"Fuckin' bacon…" Baird grumbled with a scowl. Cole elbowed him in the ribs.

"That looks like it was the last of 'em. For a while, anyway," Dom said.

"Yeah, probably just long enough to get rid of the smell of rotting grub," Baird added. Introductions were made, or what passed for introductions seeing as how the unnamed soldier didn't speak at all.

"Colonel," Marcus said, turning away from the newcomer. "We better have that talk now."

…

"Well that's downright unbelievable!" Hoffman said as he led Delta Squad into the Operations Center of the fort. "Even for that asshole! …So, this thing your dad's invented—it'll kill off the Lambent? What about the rest of the grubs?"

"No guarantees," Marcus said with a shake of his head. "Just because they turn into Lambent doesn't mean it'll work on 'em."

"Shame about the Hammer. It's just what we need…" Baird said. He was currently checking over a few control systems at the main console. After a moment, he shook his head and walked over to where Marcus and Hoffman were standing.

"Goddamn thing!" Hoffman cursed. "It still triggers a few satellites, but forget about accuracy!"

"Hmmm," Baird said, more to himself than to the others. "Maybe I can fix that…"

There was a loud clank of metal as the door to the Operations Center opened and in came Bernie. Though she was showing signs of age like Hoffman, she still held the air of command that all Gears respected.

"Bernie, you are not gonna believe this shit!" Hoffman said.

"It'll have to wait, Vic," Bernie said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She spared a momentary glance at the stranger, who had wrested a nearby Gear's Lancer rifle from his hands and was currently examining the design.

"Hey!" the Gear said in annoyance. "Give that—"

A look from the stranger immediately silenced him, and he backed away carefully. Bernie turned back to address the others.

"Is anyone monitoring the radio net? It's Sam and Anya. They're pinned down outside the perimeter!"

"We're on it, Bernie," Marcus said with a nod. "Come on, people, lock and load."

"I'll get someone to drive the truck for ya," Hoffman said as everyone mobilized for combat.

Bernie spared another glance at the stranger as it ran by, Lancer still in hand. She caught Baird's arm as he continued to work on the Hammer.

"What? Did I miss something, Blondie?"

"Uh…" Baird obviously didn't feel like telling the story from his tone.

"I'll…let _him_ fill you in," he said, gesturing to Hoffman. "Just keep an eye on his blood pressure. Stay calm, deep breaths, that kind of stuff, okay?"

Bernie frowned at the response but decided that she wasn't going to get a better one, and she choose instead to follow Delta Squad rather than pester Baird for an answer.

"Dom, you and Bernie get up on the wall and give us some cover fire," Marcus ordered as the group entered the garage. "You two, with me."

Everyone wordlessly nodded and hurried to their positions. Dom and Bernie took the nearby stairs up to the wall defenses, and the stranger, Cole and Marcus climbed into the back of the truck. The driver had already started the engine. As soon as they were on board, the truck took off.

Marcus accessed his radio.

"Anya, we're coming to get you. Are you okay? Where's Jace?"

"We're pinned down," came Anya's voice over the static. "Jace isn't here. He's on his way with Carmine."

"Okay, Anya, hold on!"

The truck gunned the engine and turned the corner once outside the gate. As they drew closer, Marcus saw a brigade of grubs closing in on a downed Packhorse—the COG's very own armored Humvee.

"We've got you covered from up here, Marcus," came Dom's voice from his ear piece. "Go get 'em."

"Yo, I see the ladies—behind the Packhorse!" Cole said enthusiastically.

Marcus could see that he was right, but as he surveyed the scene, he saw a disturbance in the dirt. Something was moving underground, and it was coming closer and closer to the truck…

"Look out! Digger!"

But it was too late, the live ordinance burst from the ground and exploded on the driver's side of the truck. The vehicle immediately lost control, and Marcus, Cole and the stranger were hurled from the truck as it fell onto its side.

Marcus hit the ground hard and saw stars. All sensory output was fuzzy for a few moments, but Marcus could still hear Sam and Anya calling to him, telling him to get up. Marcus groaned and struggled to his feet. He looked to his left to see a downed Gear being set upon by a Locust Grenadier. With a malicious grunt, the monster reached down and ripped the Gear's arm from his body, causing him to cry out in pain from beneath his helmet.

"Jynx!"

With another roar, the Grenadier beat the Gear mercilessly with his own severed arm. The Gear twitched a few times before he stopped moving. Marcus growled in anger, but before he could bring his rifle to bear, the stranger was already on the scene.

Before the Grenadier had time to react, the figure plunged its hands into the creature's chest, evoking an anguished roar from the monster. In the next instant, the stranger pulled its hands away from each other, ripping the Grenadier's body in half down the middle, silencing it forever. The stranger then wasted no time setting its sights on the nearby Savage Boomer that wielded the Digger Launcher. Marcus knew that the Boomer would not last long against the stranger, so he turned to Sam and Anya.

"Come on, fall back to the fort!"

Sam, Anya, and Cole wordlessly complied, and Marcus turned back to see the stranger wrench the Digger Launcher from the Boomer's grasp and fire it point-blank into the hulking creature. The small Digger-Creature burst from the weapon and began burrowing into the Boomer's flesh, causing the Boomer to cry out and writhe in pain. After burrowing deep into the creature's body, the Digger exploded from within, rendering the Boomer's body into ground beef. The stranger seemed satisfied and turned to Marcus.

"Cover our tail! We're falling back to the fort!"

The stranger nodded and took up its new Lancer. Marcus turned and ran to catch up with the others as they sprinted for the gate. Marcus heard a rumble to his right. A moment later, a Lambent stalk burst from the ground. As thick as a redwood, and arching nearly as high, Lambent monsters immediately began pouring from the stalk. More stalks sprouted nearby.

"Shit Marcus! Now the Lambent are joining the party!"

"Just keep running!" Marcus yelled as Lambent forces opened fire on their new moving targets. Marcus heard the sound of a chainsaw revving behind him, signifying the stranger's engagement with the Lambent forces. It was making good use of its new weapon. Another stalk burst from the ground nearby.

"Baird!" Marcus yelled into his radio. "We're being overrun with Lambent! Bring the Hammer online!"

"Okay, but you'd better get in here! We don't have full control!"

 _Shit…_

"Just fire it up!"

Marcus ran full tilt toward the open gate where two Gears were suppressing fire to cover their entrance. Just as Marcus thought they were going to make it, another stalk popped up right next to the gate.

"Uhhhhh, Marcus?! That don't look good!" Cole shouted. As if egged on by his words, the stalk spewed out a massive Lambent creature, larger than all the rest.

Standing at least eleven feet tall, the hulking monster sported arms and legs that were the size of tree trunks. Its hide was thick, with a bright yellow light showing through in certain areas. It was a constant reminder of the Imulsion that coursed through all Lambent creatures. As if the creature didn't look scary enough, four bladed tentacles sprouted from its back, each one as long as a car and as thick as Marcus's arm.

It was a Lambent Berserker.

The creature roared, which came out as a piercing scream, and set upon the two Gears at the gate, tearing through them like tissue paper. It then turned to Marcus and the group, setting its sights on the remaining humans. Roaring again, the Lambent 'Zerker hefted the truck the Gears had been using and hurled it towards the group.

"Look out!" Marcus said as he made to dive out of the way. But the truck never hit him. In a split second, the stranger was there again, and it braced itself and caught the truck with its gauntleted hands. The force of the impact caused the stranger to skid backwards a foot or so, but it held its ground. With a seemingly small effort, the stranger braced itself underneath the truck and heaved, sending the vehicle flying back to the Lambent 'Zerker, who swatted it away with its giant hand and charged directly at the stranger. Marcus recovered from his roll and opened fire on the massive creature, but the bullets were nothing compared to the thick hide the Lambent 'Zerker sported. Standard weapons were useless.

"Goddamn! You an ugly bitch!" Cole shouted as the Lambent 'Zerker clashed with the stranger, lashing out ferally as the armored solider ducked and weaved through its blows.

"Baird! Where's the damn Hammer!?"

"It's firing—now!"

As Baird's voice came over the radio, red beams rained down from the sky, scorching all in their path. The Hammer of Dawn was firing. The beams were tracking the Lambent 'Zerker, each slowly converging on its position. When they all converged, whatever was underneath got toasted.

"Everybody, run! Get to the fort!" Marcus bellowed. He looked back and saw the stranger deliver a solid uppercut to the Lambent 'Zerker, buying them precious seconds as the monster staggered backward from the force of the blow. The stranger then turned and caught up to them, getting inside just as Marcus slammed the gate control, closing the gate and trapping the Lambent 'Zerker outside.

Marcus watched from the courtyard as the beams finally converged, and there was a loud shrieking noise as the lasers all combined into one giant death ray on the Lambent 'Zerker's position. Marcus could feel the heat even from inside the gates.

The laser burned for a few more moments, then the beam disappeared. The Hammer of Dawn was offline. All fell silent as the light from the beam faded.

"Did we fry that bitch?" Cole asked cheekily with a grin. Sam let out a breath she had been holding.

"Looks that way."

Marcus turned away from the gate to address Delta Squad.

"Alright, everybody get inside. We've got unfinished business to—"

An ear-splitting puound came from the other side of the gate, and the gate itself caved inward slightly. Another pound came, and the gate yielded a little more. Another pound came, then another, then another…

"What the hell? —"

The night lapsed into silence for a brief second, then there was a loud shriek, and the Lambent 'Zerker jumped over the wall and into the courtyard. Its body was red hot from the Hammer, but it only added to its horrific form. It was still alive.

The Lambent 'Zerker roared again and charged at Delta Squad, but not before Marcus noticed something strange. As he dove out of the way, he saw that when the beast had charged, its rib cage had opened, exposing some sort of glowing chest cavity beneath the hard chitin.

"The hell is that flappy thing in her chest?!" Cole yelled as he recovered from his roll.

The Lambent 'Zerker stopped its charge, but before she could turn to charge again, the stranger produced a weapon that Marcus had never seen before. The stranger carried it in two hands, and it was forked at the end while humming with a powerful red light. Without a moment's hesitation, the stranger fired the weapon, and a bright-red beam burst from the forked end and struck the Lambent 'Zerker directly on her shoulder. Marcus then recognized it as the weapon from the battle earlier. The impact from the weapon was obviously powerful, as the beast roared and staggered from the impact, and like with the Maulers from before, the area around the shot began to decay. However, the effect appeared to have diminished greatly against the Lambent 'Zerker's tough skin, as the effected area remained relatively small and did not burn through much chitin at all. So much for that plan.

The Lambent 'Zerker roared and charged again, and again Marcus noticed that the chest cavity exposed itself before she charged.

"Ugh!" Baird said, obviously grossed out. He dove out of the way just in time as the beast flew past him.

"Looks like her ribs opening. Okay, that's gotta be a weak spot! Aim for it!"

Marcus didn't need to be told twice. Marcus took aim and waited patiently.

"Don't shoot until she's up close!" he shouted.

"Yeah, _you_ get cozy with her!" Baird replied over the Lambent 'Zerker's cry. "I'll stand back."

Marcus knew Baird was just being his sarcastic self, but the stranger seemed to take the idea to heart, putting its beam weapon away and charging straight for the Lambent 'Zerker. The beast turned around and made to charge again, exposing her chest cavity like before. In a flash, the stranger drew its fist back and plunged it deep into the monster's exposed chest. The Lambent 'Zerker reacted immediately, crying out in pain and falling down on her back. She began writhing and twitching violently, but the stranger kept its fist lodged deep into her core, twisting its arm to ensure the damage had been done.

"Get back!" Marcus yelled. "She's gonna blow!"

The stranger either didn't hear him or didn't care, as it chose to remain where it was, staring down from atop the Lambent 'Zerker as she continued to cry out in pain. The rest of Delta Squad dove for cover just as the monster went nuclear, engulfing both her and the stranger in a rather sizeable explosion.

Pieces of the Lambent 'Zerker rained down all around Marcus as the night fell into silence again. When he looked up, he saw the smoke beginning to clear from ground zero, and the stranger emerged from the thinning cloud, showing no signs of damage from the point-blank explosion that it had just tanked. Delta Squad walked up to meet it, somewhat shocked that whatever this thing was had just survived an explosion like that.

Baird, as usual, was the first to break the silence.

"So…how was it for you?"

The stranger looked at Baird, but its attention was immediately diverted as a spark fizzled from its right gauntlet. Raising its arm to inspect it, Marcus could see that it was covered in Imulsion. Likely due to the fact that it had been buried deep in a Lambent 'Zerker's gut not a few seconds ago.

The gauntlet sparked again with a hiss, and though Marcus couldn't see the stranger's face, but its posture portrayed a confused expression.

The gauntlet sparked once more, and the stranger was suddenly engulfed in a bright blue light. A loud bang echoed through the courtyard, and Marcus squinted and covered his eyes against the piercing light that stabbed the darkness. After a brief moment, the light went out, but when Marcus looked again, the stranger was gone.

"Uhhhhh…yeah. Everybody saw that, right?" Baird asked incredulously.

"How the hell could we miss something like that?" Dom retorted with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Despite the slight abrasiveness, Marcus knew that none of them, himself included, had any idea what the hell just happened. Seeing no use worrying about it, Marcus shook his head and let it be. They had more urgent matters.

"Are we done here? Come on, Baird. We got a job to do."

Marcus spared one final glance to where the stranger had been standing mere moments ago, then turned and strode back into the fort, Delta Squad followed behind.

 _ **A/N: Another one for the books, my friends! I've been with Gears since the beginning, and I knew that this chapter was probably going to happen sooner or later. Now that I'm back into the status quo, hopefully I can start pumping out chapters on a more regular basis. As always, please don't hesitate to leave a review as to how the story is going so far. All positivity and negativity is accepted with open arms! Until next time!**_

 _ **-ImpulsiveWeaver**_


	20. Dead Space

Chapter 18

 _ **A/N: Pitter Patter, let's get at 'er! Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to another chapter in my steadily expanding universe. As some of you may have already guessed, this chapter involves the Doom Slayer infiltrating the Dead Space, and he's about to liven things up a little bit. The USG Ishimura is about to turn into a warzone! Remember that I own neither of these franchises, and enjoy!**_

The woman's slight giggles echoed throughout the otherwise silent halls. Each cackle bounced down the metal hallways until they faded from hearing. The woman herself was seated on the floor, propped up with her back against a metal crate and her legs spread out in front of her. Her long blonde hair was done up neatly in a bun, and her uniform was clean with the exception of a few bloodstains. Relatively speaking, she was well kempt.

The scene around her told a different story. Blood splatters covered the walls and floor in copious amounts, including the puddle she was currently sitting in. The blood had been supplied by the various other bodies that littered the room, all of which were dead. Though most of the blood was spilt in a haphazard pattern, some had been used to scribble phrases and drawings on any available surface. Some phrases could be made out, relaying cryptic messages of reckoning and despair, while some may as well have been written in another language. Even further, some scribbles appeared to hold no more meaning than what their name implied. They had only been scribbled for scribbles' sake. A few lit candles sat around the room as well, casting the already haunting scene into an even more horrific filter.

The woman took all of this in with half-lidded eyes, her giggling now evolving into whole-hearted laughter. She became louder, and her body shook with each laugh she let out. It was as though she had heard the funniest joke in all her life. Absentmindedly, she reached out with her right hand and fumbled for the object that she had laid on the floor next to her. Wrapping her fingers around the object, the woman's cackling grew to a fever pitch. She snorted due to the intensity of the laughter now, but it only seemed to make her laugh more as she placed the object under her chin.

Her laughter abruptly cut out as her head exploded. The object clattered to the floor as she went limp, but it was no concern of her's anymore. She no longer needed it, as it had served its final purpose to her.

Isaac had watched the scene unfold with horror, and now, he stood frozen in shock and despair at the woman's headless corpse as it slumped to the floor. He had tried to reach out and stop her when she picked up the gun, but he had not reacted quickly enough. Now, she was just another corpse on the USG Ishimura, and unfortunately for Isaac, there was only one thing he could do to help her now.

Taking out his plasma-cutter-now-turned-Necromorph-dismemberer, Isaac expended four rounds to remove the deceased woman's limbs from her body. He did the same to the other bodies in the room. Doing so may have been considered desecrating the corpses, but Isaac knew that if he left them as they were, he would condemn them to a fate far worse than death and dismemberment. These flying "Infector" forms, as Isaac had learned to call them, would attempt to turn a corpse into a Necromorph as long as it at least had one limb still remained, no matter if the head was still attached or not.

Isaac stepped back as he finished cutting the limbs from the corpses, honored the dead with a brief moment of silence, then leaned down and picked up a small Nav card from a puddle of blood. That was the last one, and Isaac sighed from inside his helmet as he inspected the card in his hand.

He turned to leave, tucking the Nav card safely into his suit with the other two, but he was stopped short as someone opened up a communications link with his RIG. Isaac was expecting Kendra with a status report, but the voice that came through was a far less welcome one. It belonged to Dr. Challus Mercer, one of the few surviving members of the Ishimura's Crew, and the one who had been trying to kill Isaac ever since he stepped on board.

"This time there will be no escape for you, my friend. You have been most resourceful up until now, but my creation is free, reborn in the fierce heat of life itself! Now it's time to play your part..."

 _His creation? Oh shi…_

Isaac instinctively ran as the air vent above him burst open. Isaac did not need to turn around, as he already knew from its distinctive roar what had come through. It was a Necromorph, but not just any Necromorph. No, this one was a personal creation of Dr. Mercer himself, a Necromorph with a regenerative ability that canceled out any damage Isaac could do to it.

 _The Hunter._

Standing at least a head taller than Isaac, the beast was a frightening sight even without its regenerative abilities. Like most Necromorph variants, two absurdly long arms sprouted from its shoulder blades, each one turning into a sharp blade made of bone at the end. The blades themselves were ideal for cutting through humans, and that made them rather bothersome for Isaac. Like all Necromorphs, the Hunter too had once been human, but it was difficult to realize that truth when Isaac saw its form. It had been mutated beyond recognizability, and the only characteristic that it shared with humans now was that it walked on two legs.

Accessing the door in front of him, Isaac frantically ducked into the lounge. A place that the residents of Block C must have once used to relax after a long day.

 _If only…_

As Isaac ran into the room, his RIG comms opened up again, and he was thankful to hear Kendra's voice.

"Isaac, that son of a bitch just overrode the door lock! Hang on, I'll try to run a bypass!"

 _Perfect._

That meant that Isaac was now stuck in the lounge with the Hunter, and from the screeching he could hear from the vents, they were about to have company. Isaac danced backward as the Hunter made to slash at him, and he took out his plasma cutter again. With an aim that had grown steadily better during his time on this god-forsaken ship, Isaac placed two shots directly into the monster's right leg, severing the limb and causing the Hunter to crash to the ground. For good measure, Isaac emptied two more shots into its left leg, crippling it even further. Without any wasted time, Isaac then activated his stasis module and cast it onto the already regenerating creature. A blue glow enshrouded the beast, slowing its personal time to a crawl. Now not only did it now move at the speed of a snail, but its regeneration did as well, giving Isaac time to deal with the oncoming Necromorphs before it healed.

As Isaac turned, a Slasher jumped down from the vents above, immediately followed by a Lurker, a smaller but no less annoying Necromorph variant. Isaac immediately switched to his line gun, another mining tool-turned-weapon, and fired at the Lurker as three ropy tentacles sprouted from its back. His timing had been perfect, and the long plasma bolt cut through all three tentacles at once, killing the Lurker in the process.

With no time to feel good about his efficient kill, Isaac jumped out of the way as the slasher charged at him. He switched weapons once more, pulling out the RC-DS. Short for Remote Control Disk Saw, this was yet another mining tool that Isaac had used his engineering skills to mold into a Necromorph killing machine. However, this weapon was different from the plasma cutter and line gun, as it was originally designed to saw through tough rock at a somewhat safe distance. Basic operation involved pointing the RC-DS at the rock you intended to cut through and pulling the trigger. A disk saw would then extend from the main body and spin at roughly 17,000 RPM at a set distance away, which was maintained by a miniature gravity tether outfitted to the main body of the tool. Despite the distance between the user and the rock that needed cut, the RC-DS was still an unsafe machine for beginners to handle, as the speed of the blade combined with its relatively few safety features made it all too easy for young miners to lose fingers or even entire limbs while operating it.

Isaac, however, was anything but inexperienced, and he had quickly discovered that the RC-DS cut through Necromorphs with great ease compared to rock and minerals. This had earned it a spot as one of his go-to weapons for close range, as a few seconds of contact with the saw once it was fired would render all but the toughest Necromorphs into a pile of ground meat.

Which is exactly what it did. The Slasher that had charged Isaac fell into a bloody pulp on the floor, and only when it stopped twitching did Isaac cease his intense saw-cutting. Looking over his shoulder, Isaac saw that the stasis effect on the Hunter was wearing off, and the beast had almost completely regenerated severed legs. Isaac spared a glance at the door to see that Kendra still had yet to bypass the door lock. He was still trapped with the Hunter, and he could hear more Necromorphs moving through the vents.

With a grunt of disdain, Isaac fired another sawblade and sliced through all four limbs of the Hunter, which roared in pain and fell again. Isaac held the blade steady as he continued slicing and lacerating he monster's body as it regrew. It was quickly turning into a competition as Isaac struggled to keep the limbs from regenerating with the saw. They were regrowing almost as fast as he could cut them off, and he knew that he would either have to run or use his stasis module again when the RC-DS needed to be reloaded. Or if he had to turn and contend with more Necromorphs.

Suddenly, his RIG comms opened again, and Kendra's voice came through.

"Okay, I bypassed the lock! Get out of there!"

Isaac didn't need to be told twice. Turning on his heel, he bolted for the door to the cargo lift as it slid open. He punched the button, and the doors slid closed just as the Necromorphs began poured from the vents.

Isaac breathed a sigh of relief but was instantly back on alert as another voice came through his comms.

"Excellent work Mr. Clarke! Now…come and meet me in the Executive area. The door is unlocked. Be quick."

That voice belonged to none other than Dr. Kyne, who was a survivor from the ship like Dr. Mercer. But unlike Mercer, Dr. Kyne seemed more willing to help Isaac than his devout counterpart. Despite that, the doctor seemed to be obsessed with the artifact, the…Marker that Isaac kept hearing about. He had said that he wanted to return it, and he desperately had implored Isaac to help him. Isaac wasn't sure as to whether he could trust Dr. Kyne or not, and Kendra echoed his concerns as she contacted him through his RIG.

"Isaac, be careful with Dr. Kyne. A lot of what I have discovered so far has come from his records…the man has clearly gone insane. He might be unstable, maybe even violent…"

Isaac recalled the video log he had seen earlier. Dr. Kyne had attempted to sedate the captain but had ended up piercing his cranium with the syringe instead. Whether or not he had meant to, the blood of the Ishimura's captain was on Kyne's hands.

"And Isaac, I'm not sure what it is, but something is happening on the other side of the ship. I can hear it from here. Whatever it is, it's making a lot of noise and drawing the Necromorphs to it. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, but just be careful."

Isaac frowned and thought about what she had said.

 _Something is drawing the Necromorphs away? Was it another survivor? Or were the monsters planning something?_

Isaac's thoughts immediately drifted to Nicole, who was still somewhere on board the ship. He had seen her with his own eyes, but he could not reach her. They had parted ways reluctantly, but Isaac knew that if she had survived that long, then she could survive just a little bit longer. She was tough.

Isaac smiled fondly.

The doors to the lift opened, and Isaac stepped into the Executive area. As he walked in, he saw a man standing with his back to him, too engrossed in his own thoughts to notice the sound of Isaac entering the room. As Isaac drew closer, the man began to pace, and his muttering grew louder.

"Amelia, I knew that you would know what to do, I knew…I love you so…"

The man stopped his pacing and seemingly noticed Isaac for the first time. The man turned toward Isaac, relief flooding his features, and Isaac gazed upon Dr. Kyne in person for the first time.

"You made it!" Dr. Kyne said, relief dripping from his words. "Thank god, you made it…"

The doctor took a few breaths to steady himself, then continued.

"I've been following your progress. I know you want to repair the Executive shuttle and leave this place, but…escape is impossible at this point. The shuttle's shockpoint drive is destroyed!"

 _Son of a…_

"No no no no no! Don't lose hope!" Dr. Kyne quickly added, throwing his hands out in what Isaac supposed was an attempt at a soothing gesture.

"Don't…lose hope. At first…at first I lost hope…"

The doctor began to pace again, speaking almost more to himself than Isaac, who watched him quietly. Isaac doubted he could get a word in even if he wanted to.

"I tried to scuttle the ship, sabotage the systems…but Amelia…she changed things."

Isaac had no idea who this Amelia person was supposed to be, but he let the mad doctor continue his ramblings.

"The church!" Dr. Kyne suddenly cried out, anger creeping into his voice. "They think the Marker is divine, but they don't know what's happened here! What's been released! Look, look, look…look at this…"

Dr. Kyne fumbled with his RIG for a moment before a holo-vid sprung to life between the two of them. At first, all Isaac could see was a man on the screen, then suddenly, the man ran as the camera focused on a massive creature that had appeared over the horizon. Isaac couldn't get the best estimate from the video, but the monster must have been at least as tall as a skyscraper. Maybe even bigger…

Isaac was glad that he had his helmet to cover his shocked expression.

"That is what we found…" Dr. Kyne said as the video disappeared. "…in the core of the planet…Mercer calls it the Hive Mind. It's the source…controlling the Necromorphs telepathically. We were so STUPID! But Amelia, she knew! She knew it could be stopped…by returning the Marker to the planet! The Marker was containing it within the planet. Return the Marker, and we seal the Hive Mind!"

Dr. Kyne's voice then dropped to a whisper. Isaac could barely hear him. It was as though the doctor had suddenly lost all of his strength. He began to pace again.

"Please…I'm sorry Amelia…I bear much of the responsibility for this tragedy. Now, I must take responsibility for ending it, and atone for my sins. But you can help me…"

Doctor Kyne weakly pointed to Isaac.

"If you repair the shuttle and bring the Marker back on board…We can end this. Forever."

Dr. Kyne then gestured to a door at the back of the room. Isaac followed his finger, then wordlessly strode away, leaving the doctor behind.

Kendra was right, the doctor was clearly insane. But if what he said was true, if they could truly end this threat by returning the Marker to the planet. Then Isaac had no choice but to try. He knew that if this infestation somehow made it to Earth…he didn't even want to think about it.

The door led to another cargo lift, which Isaac took to the shuttle bay. He encountered no Necromophs along the way, and he again wondered if he should be relieved or worried. Either way, Isaac made sure to make the most of the time he had now. Rushing into the shuttle, Isaac inserted the Nav cards and began programming the preflight sequence.

Suddenly, he began to hear noises coming from the way he came. He instantly recognized the sounds of Necromorph screams from the cargo lift, and he immediately raised his plasma cutter, all three lasers pointing at the door. There were a few loud bangs from behind the door, then everything fell silent.

Then, the door opened. And out stepped a humanoid figure in a green suit of armor. The lift behind the figure showed signs of a Necromorph massacre, and the figure itself was covered with Necromorph blood.

The figure locked its gaze on Isaac immediately, and Isaac got a sudden shiver as the suit stared him down. The sights of the plasma cutter were still focused intently on its chest, and Isaac breathed for a moment before slowly lowering his weapon.

 _Just who is this? Did one of the personnel onboard the Valor survive after all? No…that can't be right…the armor doesn't match. Is this the person that the Necromorphs were drawn to?_

Isaac had been so rattled by the stranger's appearance that he failed to notice that the stranger too had a weapon, which it held close by its side. Isaac leaned to get a closer look and saw with surprise that though it looked like an ordinary bullet rifle, it appeared to have a chainsaw in place of a bayonet. Isaac's surprise quickly turned into thoughtfulness, however, as he quickly pictured how useful a chainsaw bayonet could be. The effectiveness of it could be argued however, as that weapon most likely weighed a ton. Not only was it a large automatic rifle, but it also had a chainsaw integrated into its chassis, meaning that the wielder was carrying the weight of a rifle _and_ a chainsaw at the same time. That would make you tire quickly.

As the stranger approached Isaac, however, he noted that this mysterious person appeared to have no issues with handling the weapon's above average weight.

The stranger stopped just a few feet from Isaac, and they both sized each other up. Isaac supposed they were both roughly the same height, but in terms of gear, Isaac couldn't help but feel outclassed. They both wore helmets that obstructed their views of each other's faces, but the stranger's armor almost seemed to radiate indestructibility. It clearly wasn't like the RIG that Isaac was wearing, as it carried no health indicator on the back, and was of an entirely different make and model than anything Isaac had ever seen.

Neither of them felt the need to speak, and Isaac was surprisingly okay with that. They both seemed to understand the situation that they were in, and though Isaac doubted that the stranger knew about the Marker or their plan to return it, he was sure that Dr. Kyne would be more than happy to explain it again.

Looking over the figure again, Isaac decided for simplicity's sake to just assume that there was a man under that suit. If his guess was incorrect, he or she could beat him up for it later. Either way, it still didn't change the fact that the figure seemed to impose badassery onto Isaac as he continued his work on the shuttle. He couldn't quite explain it, but he just knew that this stranger didn't take shit from anyone, and if anyone crossed his path, they would not live to regret it. Isaac was now 99 percent sure that this guy was the thing that all the Necromorphs had been drawn to. They seemed to sense living aura, and this guy's was overwhelming. Isaac imagined with some humor that the two of them together probably stood out like a beacon to the undead swarming throughout the ship.

 _Wait a second…_

Isaac jumped up just as the first Necromorph scream came from the vents. Then in the span of a second, the screams were all around as Necromorph after Necromorph surged from every possible entrance to the hanger. Isaac had never seen so many in one place.

Switching to his line gun again, Isaac instinctively stood back to back against the stranger, and before the two of them could exchange a look, the Necromorphs were upon them.

What happened next could only be described as the goriest minutes of Isaac's life. The stranger had turned into nothing short of a whirlwind of destruction. Using the rifle in combination with the chainsaw bayonet to drop the Necromorphs as quickly as they came. Isaac didn't know wheather the stranger knew to target the limbs or not, but it didn't matter. The stranger ripped most of the Necromorphs apart anyway. It seemed to be his fighting style. Whatever the Necromorphs dished out, the stranger gave back tenfold. It was as though it was personal for the stranger, and even though it looked as though he had declared war on the Necromorphs, Isaac saw it more as one-sided extermination.

That was not to say that Isaac stood idly by. No, the Necromorphs were pressing in on all sides, and that meant that Isaac was dead if he didn't fight back. He himself kept himself alive by switching weapons when one ran out of ammo. It was far quicker than reloading, as he knew that if he stopped to reload, the Necromorphs would overwhelm him. The stranger gauged Isaac's abilities well, and always seemed to know when to come to his aid when it seemed like the monsters were going to breach his defense.

Before Isaac new it, the Necromorphs stopped pouring in, and the two of them were cleaning up any survivors among the bodies. Arms, legs, and torsos littered the floor from the bloodshed they had both imparted, even though Isaac knew that most of the bodies had been the stranger's doing, not his. It was like the stranger was made to kill Necromorphs, and his passion when doing so was unparalleled.

Isaac suddenly heard an all-to-familiar roar from the other end of the hanger. The Hunter had returned.

The beast was lurching toward them, not running but approaching fast enough. Isaac could see its glowing eyes, and he wondered if even the stranger would be able to keep it at bay for long…

Isaac's eyes widened as the stranger suddenly pulled another weapon out. It was more modern in its design over the previous one, as it glowed with a vibrant red energy. Isaac realized that the weapon closely resembled the schematics for a mass-driver, which were the weapons used by ADS systems on ships such as these to blast apart incoming asteroids.

The stranger fired the weapon, and a bright red beam burst forth, blasting the Hunter in half down the middle.

 _Holy shit, it IS a miniature mass driver._

There could be no other explanation as to how a weapon of that design worked. But Isaac was even more surprised as he stared at the two pieces of the Hunter. Instead of beginning to reform, the Hunter's body was now undergoing a disintegration. Starting from the point of severance, the organic mass that constituted the Hunter was decaying into a fine red dust. The rate of decay was far greater than the Hunter's rate of regeneration, and the beast cried out as its entire body was consumed by ash.

Within a few seconds, only dust remained of the Hunter. Isaac could hardly believe it.

That specific Necromorph had been stalking him nearly the entire time that he had been on this damn ship, and not once had he ever come close to killing it. The best thing he could do was freeze it in the hopes of incapacitating it, but even then, it had been set free again by Dr. Mercer, and Isaac had always wondered if the next time he met that thing would be his last.

And yet, the stranger had killed it with one shot. The stranger probably considered it to be no more hassle than swatting a fly. Isaac looked at the stranger, and finally realized just what he was looking at.

This guy wasn't a mere man, or machine or monster or whatever was under that armor. Maybe he was in reality, but to Isaac, to the Necromorphs, to _anyone_ that encountered him, he was more comparable to a force. Or maybe a law. Or a universal constant, even.

In actuality, Isaac knew that he probably was not infinitely indestructible, but he may as well have been.

 _When no one can oppose you, who is to say that you are not God?_

…

Isaac was still pondering the stranger's strength when Dr. Kyne entered the hangar. Isaac watched as he approached.

Dr. Kyne spared the stranger a curious glance.

"Who is this...? Nevermind. It doesn't matter…the more help we can get the better."

Kyne turned and examined the shuttle.

"It works? Yes, this will work! There's still time to make things right! The shuttle needs to be released before launch…The Control Platform…there!"

Dr. Kyne gestured to the main console of to the side of the hangar.

"I need you to guide the undocking procedure while I start the shuttle's engines. This will make us whole again…"

Isaac frowned at those words. Nicole had said something similar…

 _Make us whole again…what did that mean?_

One glance at the stranger showed that he knew just as much as Isaac did about it, and Isaac decided to shrug it off for now. It wasn't important.

"Hurry!" Dr. Kyne said as he rushed into the shuttle, disappearing from sight. "I'll take the shuttle up to the Flight Deck. That's where the Marker is being held!"

Isaac turned and went to the console. Setting his weapon aside, he began typing commands for the shuttle's movement. In just a few short moments, an alarm sounded, and the shuttle slowly began descending through the floor. The two of them watched it go. Dr. Kyne's voice came through Isaac's RIG.

"I'm en route to the Flight Deck. Meet me there, and we can load the Marker on board. Yes, Amelia. Soon, we'll take it home…"

Isaac had no idea how it was happening, but he could tell that the stranger was receiving the exact same messages as he was. It should not have been possible without a RIG uplink, but then again, this guy was redefining the border between possible and impossible.

 _Hell, even Necromorphs had seemed impossible a few hours ago. And now look around…_

Kendra's voice came through next.

"I don't know if Kyne is crazy or not, but we need that shuttle. Let's keep him on our side…for now. And uh…I see you've made a new friend, Isaac. Very nice."

Isaac nodded wordlessly, even though he knew Kendra couldn't see the motion.

 _It was very nice indeed._

All of a sudden, Kendra' voice cut out, and a video transmission abruptly forced its way up from Isaac's RIG. They both stopped and examined the transmission. Dr. Mercer's face started back at them.

"Your time has come, my friends. No need to be frightened! No reason to fight! Many have gone before us, and now it's time for us to take the voyage together, transcend death… and let the future take its course. Join me, as I gaze upon the face of God!"

 _Just what was he getting at this time?_

The screen zoomed out slightly as Dr. Mercer fell to his knees with is arms open wide in an accepting gesture. Isaac saw an Infector form fly into view towards Dr. Mercer—

The transmission cut out.

But Isaac and the stranger both knew what was happening. Mercer had taken his 'grand step' to enlightenment. He had finally achieved that 'true freedom' that he had so been looking forward to. Isaac shook his head as the two of them walked to the exit, and that's when he heard it. He had thought he had recognized the background of the video transmission.

Isaac shared a glance with the stranger, then opened the door.

The scene that greeted them was Dr. Mercer, if he could still be called that. The Infector form was latched on top of his head, and though neither of them could see his face, they both knew that the transformation had already begun.

The stranger reached out and separated the Infector form from Dr. Mercer. There was a wet ripping noise, then the stranger tore both of the wings off of the flying beast. The trauma killed the Necromorph instantly, but Dr. Mercer's half transformed corpse writhed on the ground, gasping and screeching violently. Isaac silenced him with his plasma cutter, ending the fanatic's life. After all that had happened, Dr. Mercer was finally dead.

Isaac supposed he should have felt elated at the fact, as the man had attempted to kill him numerous times today. But all Isaac could feel was remorse.

Remorse for a man who had believed so strongly in something that he could never achieve. A man that was so blinded by his ideals that he could not fathom the atrocities that he had committed. And now, a man that had died never knowing that it had all been a lie. A man as blissfully ignorant in death as he had been in life.

Sparing a glance to the stranger, Isaac saw that he was looking at the corpse of Dr. Mercer as well. Isaac couldn't see his face, but he thought he could see a hint recognition in his posture. It almost seemed as though the stranger had seen a similar scenario unfold before and was annoyed and dejected to see it happen again. After a brief moment of silence, the two of them boarded the lift and went down to the Hangar Bay.

…

The two of them emerged onto the flight deck just as Dr. Kyne opened a transmission.

"Gentlemen, I'm approaching the hangar, the Marker itself is being stored in the Cargo Bay. There is a lift you can use to deliver it to the shuttle. I…thank you for your help…this is the only way…"

Isaac and the stranger wordlessly went to where the Marker was being held. The door to the Cargo Bay opened, and the hey both froze when the saw the artifact for the first time.

The bright red Marker was shaped like a double-helix. Two twin spires that wound together with grooves and symbols that certainly seemed to be of alien origin. Isaac felt uneasy looking at the Marker, but the stranger seemed angry. Somehow, Isaac knew that the stranger wanted to destroy it on sight, but he held out his arm and shook his head. The stranger looked from him to the Marker for a few moments, then shook his head and relaxed slightly.

Kendra's voice came on over the comms.

"I'm heading up to the flight deck now. Oh god…I'm just going to run for it…wish me luck."

 _Good luck._

The stranger nodded, then the two of them moved the cart containing the Marker along the track back to the Hangar Bay. The stranger had wordlessly offered to push the cart, but Isaac had insisted, choosing to use his Kinesis module instead to transport the load.

The stranger seemed greatly intrigued by the Kinesis module, which gave Isaac a hint of satisfaction. With the stranger's overwhelming strength and brutality, Isaac thought it was nice to have a super power of his own to show off.

Soon the two of them had positioned the Marker right underneath the shuttle dock. No Necromorphs had attacked during their transportation of the artifact, which was likely due to the massacre that had thinned their numbers in the shuttle bay.

Shortly after Isaac pushed it into place, the Hangar Bay doors opened, and the shuttle came through.

"Well done," came Dr. Kyne's voice over the comms. "All that's left to do now is to let the automatic loading process do its work."

 _Finally, something seemed to be going right._

Isaac was then forced to eat his words as a series of roars and screeches came from the other end of the Hangar Bay.

Necromorphs, and lots of them.

The stranger caught Isaac's eye and gestured to the shuttle. Isaac understood immediately.

 _Got it, you protect the marker, and I'll look after the doctor._

Isaac turned and ran up to the shuttle dock as the stranger opened fire on the Necromorphs below. There were not as many as last time, but Isaac knew better than to let his guard down now, not when they were so close.

As Isaac ran to the shuttle, he saw Dr. Kyne standing on the dock. The ramp to the shuttle was ready, and all that was left to do was to board and go down to the planet.

"Over here!" Dr. Kyne waved his arms as Isaac approached. "Hurry! There's no time to waste, we must do it—"

A shot rang out, and Dr. Kyne staggered as his chest erupted with blood. Isaac's eyes opened wide in surprise as Dr. Kyne fell to his knees on the dock, choking on his own fluids. Isaac picked up his speed, but the shuttle was already taking off. Someone was leaving, and they were taking the Marker with them.

Isaac reached Dr. Kyne, who was focused on the hole that had appeared in his chest. Isaac didn't even have to examine the wound to know that Dr. Kyne wasn't going to make it. The bullet had pierced his heart, and the doctor's life force was fading fast.

"Wait…" Dr. Kyne said weakly. Isaac leaned down to hear him speak, but it seemed as though the doctor was addressing neither him nor the person leaving with the shuttle.

"Amelia…where…where are you going…wait…

The doctor reached out with one hand, attempting to grasp for something that Isaac could not see, then finally breathed his last. Dr. Kyne fell onto his side and moved no more. Isaac watched helplessly as his only ticket home took off, leaving him and the stranger behind in the hanger bay.

The stranger ran up beside him. The Necromorphs down below were all dead, and the stranger looked from Isaac to the shuttle to Dr. Kyne's body in confusion. Isaac had no answers. Someone had just hijacked their ride.

A video transmission opened up on Isaac's RIG. Kendra's face appeared from the bridge of the shuttle.

"Sorry, boys. I couldn't let him go through with it. I suppose I should thank him for finding the Marker. We even managed without help from the USM Valor. Thank you for helping me find it, by the way. My department's been looking for this place for a long time. See, what Kyne didn't know was, it was the government's mess to begin with. This whole planet is one big experiment."

The two of them watched silently, it was all they could do.

"The Marker?" Kendra continued. "This 'divine relic'? Made by man. They reverse-engineered it a couple of hundred years ago from the _real_ Marker, a true alien artifact recovered on Earth. They dug it up, studied it, and made it their own. Then they brought it to Aegis-7 and activated it. And you both have seen the result."

Isaac heard the stranger tighten his grip on his weapon. It didn't take a genius to see that he was furious.

"The stuff of nightmares," Kendra said with a nod, as if she could read the stranger's expression. "They sealed the system, and no one would have been the wiser. But then the CEC blunders in and starts tearing the planet apart. The experiment was still alive. Kyne _was_ right about the Hive Mind. The Marker would contain it…but that doesn't matter now, does it? I have the Marker, and this entire system can go to hell."

There was a pause.

"For what it's worth, you two did a great job. See you around…Or maybe not."

The comm went dead.

Isaac shook his head. Their only ticket off this ship was gone. There was nothing left. They were stuck. Isaac jumped and turned his head as the stranger slammed his fist into the metal wall beside them. It left a sizable hole, but Isaac didn't care anymore. This was their grave now.

Isaac jumped again when his RIG comms opened up. Nicole's face appeared. God, she looked beautiful. But her voice was frantic.

"Isaac! It's Nicole! I need you to help me, help us! Now! I'm…I'm in the flight control room! Please, Isaac hurry! Please…I love you…"

Isaac looked at the stranger who looked back in confusion. Isaac made a gesture with his head and ran back to the control room. The stranger watched him for a second, then followed closely behind.

…

Isaac ran into the control room, breathing hard. Looking around frantically, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. She looked back at him, relief painting her angelic features.

"Isaac! Is that really you? I never thought we'd be together again! God, I'm…I'm so sorry for what I did…I never wanted to hurt you…"

Isaac shook his head as he approached her. None of that mattered now. They had found each other again, and that was what was important. He stopped and embraced Nicole, finally feeling her warmth after so long. It was so good to hold her again. She felt like a lifeline among the sea of dead and zombified carnage that was the Ishimura. Isaac didn't want to let go.

"You need to get it back now, Isaac," Nicole said from his shoulder. Isaac reluctantly stepped back and tilted his head questioningly.

"You can pilot the shuttle remotely from here! Make us whole again! Make us whole again…"

Isaac wanted to ask what she meant by that, but the stranger suddenly entered the control room. He had stayed behind to deal with a few Necromorphs while Isaac had charged ahead to see Nicole.

Now Isaac watched as the stranger approached, but he didn't even seem to notice Nicole, so Isaac figured introductions were taking a back seat. Approaching the console, Isaac initiated the recall sequence to the shuttle, sending out a gravity tether to bring the shuttle back to the Ishimura.

Isaac's RIG opened a comm line, as the gravity tether activated.

"Isaac, what the hell are you doing?!" came Kendra's enraged voice. "You're making a big mistake! This is not over!"

A notification arrived from the console. Kendra had just used an escape pod to leave the shuttle. She was getting away.

"It doesn't matter," said Nicole from Isaac's side. "She can't escape her fate…None of us can."

Isaac ignored the fact that what she said was rather cryptic, as he was still just relieved to have found her again. The hangar bay doors opened, and in came the shuttle. It was running on autopilot.

"Here it comes! I'll reprogram the shuttle so we can fly down to the colony. We're so close, Isaac. Now go! Get on the shuttle! I'll meet you there!"

Isaac spared Nicole one last glance, then turned to the stranger, who nodded in understanding. Isaac nodded back. It was time to finish this.

Together, Isaac and the stranger cleared out any and all Necromorphs on the way to the shuttle, and before long, the three of them had boarded and initiated the takeoff sequence.

Isaac and Nicole took their seats in the pilot and co-pilot's chair, and the stranger stood close behind them.

"You're doing the right thing, Isaac," Nicole said. She reached out her hand, and Isaac grasped it from beside her. "We're together now, the way it always should have been. I knew you would come back for me. Nothing can stop us now…"

Isaac looked over to her, taking in her features yet again, then spared another glance back to the stranger, who was looking at him with a confused posture. The silent figure kept looking from Isaac to Nicole, seemingly not understanding what was going on.

 _I'll explain it all later. Hopefully we'll all be alive to talk about it then…_

The stranger seemed to get the message, and then focused on maintaining his weaponry while Isaac began to pilot the shuttle. Soon, they had left the Ishimura and were making their way down to the colony, Marker in tow. They were close now.

…

Isaac stretched his limbs as he stepped off the shuttle and onto the planet. Gazing upon the landscape for the first time, Isaac almost preferred the Ishimura. Almost…

The land around him was reminiscent of a barren wasteland. Nothing but sand and rock could be seen for miles. All that was here was the colony, the giant metal compound which supplied the landside gravity tether to hold the massive weight of rock that the Ishimura was mining. Carrying the trillions of tons of rock took quite a bit of power, and that meant that there needed to be two sets of gravity tethers to hold it in place above the planet. One set came from the Ishimura herself, and the other set came from the colony. If either one of those failed…

Isaac shook those thoughts from his head as he began the process of unloading the Marker onto a cargo cart. The stranger stood by, scanning the area. Nicole was to stay behind and wait for them to put the Marker back on its pedestal. Once that happened, they were to hurry back to the shuttle and get away from this hellhole. The only problem was that the Marker pedestal was on the other side of the colony, meaning that the two of them had to take it through an area that no doubt had a great number of Necromorphs.

Isaac took a deep breath as he activated his Kinesis module and began to pull the Marker along the track and deeper into the colony. The stranger walked ahead of him, standing as his first line of defense.

…

Over the course of the next hour, the two of them battled their way through the colony of Aegis-7. Isaac used one hand on the Kinesis module and the other on his plasma cutter as support, but the stranger was the one that culled most of the horde. The going was slow, but considering that there was only two of them and a seemingly infinite number of Necromorphs, Isaac was sure that this was at least par for the course.

At one point, the two of them had to stop so that Isaac could repair a few bridges that were blocking their way. That meant that the two of them had to leave the Marker for a moment to go to the bridge control room. When they had returned, a Necromorph Brute had been waiting for them. The heavily armored beast had charged at the two of them, but the stranger had easily overpowered the monster, ripping its arms from its body as though it were tissue paper. Isaac was once again awestruck by the sheer power that this man wielded, and was once again thankful that they were on the same side.

Soon, the two of them had arrived at the pedestal, which seemed to be constructed of the same material as the Marker. This was it. After everything they had been through, they could finally stop the Necromorph attacks and go home. Isaac slumped his shoulders, he hadn't realized just how exhausted he was. This day had asked more out of him than every day of his life combined. How could he just return home after this? How would anyone ever believe him and Nicole if they told them all that had happened?

Shaking those thoughts from his head, Isaac pulled the cart up to the pedestal and activated the return sequence. A pair of metal arms reached out, and carefully grasping the Marker, lifted it back onto the pedestal.

There was a pause, then the Marker suddenly burst to life, coating itself in a bright red energy and firing a thick red beam into the sky. Isaac shielded his eyes from the sight, but looked back when he heard a voice from next to the Marker. It was Nicole's voice.

She was standing next to the Marker as it hummed with energy. Her face seemed to be at peace, but Isaac stared back at her with confusion.

 _Did she follow us here? What's happening?_

"Thank you, Isaac. I always believed in you. I knew you would return to me."

Isaac stared at Nicole, dumbfounded.

"We are whole again, Isaac."

"We are whole…"

 _Nicole…wait!_

But she was gone. She disappeared in a flash of red light, then the bright red energy dissipated, leaving only the Marker. Smoke arose from the artifact, and Isaac didn't know what to think. His eyes desperately searched for Nicole's form, but she was nowhere to be found.

In the back of his head, he heard the alarm over the colony's emergency systems.

"EMERGENCY: GEO-ORBITAL GRAVITY TETHERS OFFLINE. TECTONIC LOAD RELEASED. IMPACT IMMINENT. EVACUATE THIS AREA IMMEDIATELY.

Isaac's mind was in a daze, and he hardly noticed as the stranger grabbed him by his shoulder and hauled him into a nearby decontamination chamber. The metal shutters closed over the glass, and the decontamination sequence began. Isaac stood there, trying to make sense of things, but a voice pulled him from his stupor.

"Isaac, Isaac…"

The shutters opened, and through the glass stood Kendra. Her hand was on her hip, and she was smirking at the two of them.

"You really didn't think I was just going to walk away, did you? I can't do that."

Out of the corner of his eye, Isaac saw the Marker being removed from its pedestal and placed back on the cart. Once it was loaded, the cart began moving, back the way they had come from. Back to the shuttle. Kendra gestured with her head.

"The Marker is coming with me. It's a shame…I was starting to like you. Even if you are insane."

Isaac shook his head at her.

 _What the hell is she talking about?_

"What? You don't believe me? Take a look for yourself. Better yet, take a look at that video from Nicole. And this time…watch it right until the end."

Isaac frowned, but he hesitantly pulled up the video that he had watched countless times by now. Nicole's beautiful face appeared on the screen.

"Isaac, It's me. I wish I could talk to you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything. I wish I could just…talk to someone. It's all falling apart here. I can't believe what's happening…It's strange…such a little thing…"

Isaac expected it to end there, just like it always did. But it didn't. Nicole stayed on the screen, and Isaac felt his chest constrict as he saw the rest of her message for the first time.

"In the end, it all comes down to this one little thing…"

Nicole raised her hand in the video, and Isaac stared in horror as he saw a syringe in her hand.

 _No…please no…_

"I didn't want it to end like this. I really wanted to see you again, just once. I loved you. I always loved you."

Isaac stared, unable to tear his eyes away from the screen as Nicole plunged the syringe into her arm. Her body went limp, and the transmission ended.

Isaac fell to one knee. His head in his hand. He shook his head violently, desperately trying to wake up from this nightmare.

 _No…Nicole…I tried; I really did! I tried to save you!_

Isaac was frantic, hopelessly trying to rationalize the situation he was in. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and there stood the stranger. With a start, Isaac realized that everything he had seen, every time he thought Nicole was with him…All a fluke…all an apparition. That was why the stranger had been so confused when Isaac had been with her. Why he had never paid Nicole any attention…

It was because she had never been there. Isaac had been living a lie, but the stranger had been the one seeing the truth. Nicole was never there.

"See?" Kendra said through the glass. "You're insane. Just like Kyne, just like the Captain. Nicole has been dead this whole time. Whatever you were seeing…It was caused by that."

Kendra gestured to the Marker.

"You were its pawn, Isaac. But don't worry. It will be in good hands, now. Far away from this damned place."

The stranger punched the glass with his armored gauntlet, causing cracks to spider-web out from the point of impact. On the other side, Isaac saw Kendra flinch backward a step, but she smirked when the glass held.

"Nice try, tough guy. But that glass is designed to stop—"

Kendra's head exploded as the stranger's miniature mass driver fired through the glass. Her body dropped to the floor, and immediately began disintegrating like anything else that had been shot by that weapon. Isaac stared for a moment, then shook it off as the stranger hauled him to his feet. It was just them now. The last two survivors of the USG Ishimura.

The stranger grasped Isaac by his shoulder and tilted its head questioningly. Isaac knew what he was asking. And he nodded back.

 _I'll be alright. I'm ok._

The stranger seemed satisfied, and Isaac quickly remembered that over a trillion tons of rock was about to crush them from space. Without another word, the two of them bolted from the decontamination room and hauled ass back to the shuttle. They ignored any straggling Necromorphs, as their only plan to get off this rock as quickly as possible.

A few doors later, the shuttle came into view. The two of them ran towards it, but immediately stopped short as a massive tentacle appeared from the abyss and slammed itself down in front of them, blocking the way. Isaac followed the tentacle with his gaze, and suddenly stumbled as a seismic rumbling shuddered throughout the colony. The stranger caught his arm and helped him steady himself, but the rumbling continued.

 _It's here…_

With an ear-shattering roar, a gargantuan biomass emerged from the chasm below. Tentacles sprouted like bus-sized tree branches from its main mass, and Isaac could see a grotesque mouth at the creature's head.

It was the Hive Mind. The same Hive Mind that Dr. Kyne had showed Isaac back on the ship. It was even bigger than Isaac had expected.

The stranger immediately opened fire with his mass driver, but the massive bulk of the Hive Mind seemed hardly affected by the beam's effects. Isaac followed suit with his plasma cutter, but the two of them were quickly forced to duck out of the way as a massive tentacle slammed into the ground where they had been standing.

The stranger then pulled out a rocket launcher and began bombarding the creature with rockets, drawing its attention momentarily. Isaac switched to his RC-DS, and immediately got to work trying to saw through the tentacle that blocked their access to the shuttle.

Unfortunately, his back was turned to the Hive Mind, and Isaac failed to notice as another tentacle set upon him. By the time he turned around, it was too late. The tentacle knocked the wind out of him as it slapped him in the chest, and Isaac flew a few feet before tumbling to the ground. The tentacle wrapped around his ankle, and Isaac grunted in pain as the tight grip caused something to snap.

The tentacle hoisted him high into the air, Isaac desperately dropping his RC-DS and reaching for his plasma cutter. Before he could fire off a shot, however, another shot from the stranger's mass driver severed the tentacle and sent Isaac tumbling back to the ground. His ankle screamed at him when he landed, and Isaac was fairly certain that something was broken.

The stranger ran over as Isaac struggled to stand. It could have been a trick of the light, but Isaac thought he saw the stranger's gauntlet spark as he leaned down to help him up. The stranger noticed it too, and Isaac saw him freeze for a moment, almost in apprehension as the gauntlet sparked again. The stranger looked at Isaac, then at the Hive Mind, which was quickly recovering from its severed tentacle, then up to the giant landmass crashing through the atmosphere towards them, then back to Isaac.

Seemingly making up his mind, the stranger hoisted Isaac in his arms and threw him like a rag doll. Isaac sailed through the air for a few moments, the weightlessness almost pleasant given the circumstances. The moment ended quickly however as Isaac crashed hard through the open doors of the shuttle, landing just a few feet from the cockpit. His ankle seared in pain, but Isaac quickly scrambled to his feet. Using the walls for support, Isaac looked out of the shuttle doors to the stranger, who gestured to the cockpit with his arm.

He wanted Isaac to leave him behind while he took care of the Hive Mind.

 _No…not you too._

Isaac shook his head in defiance, he refused to let another person die here. The stranger shook his head in response and pointed to his gauntlet, which was sparking more erratically now. Isaac was still hesitant, but he decided that he trusted the stranger enough to follow his orders.

Still using the wall for support, Isaac staggered into the cockpit and began the ignition sequence. The engines roared to life, and Isaac quickly pressed the throttle to get the shuttle into the air. He had to escape orbit before the meteor hit.

An explosion from nearby shook the shuttle and nearly threw Isaac from the pilot's seat. A flash of green light engulfed his vision, and his ears hurt from the noise that followed.

 _What the hell was that?_

Isaac squinted as he revved to full throttle. The shuttle immediately responded and rocketed upward into the atmosphere, leaving the Hive Mind, the Marker, and the stranger behind.

The sky grew darker, and Isaac lurched sideways as a small asteroid struck the hull of the shuttle. The shuttle fell into a spin, and as Isaac righted it, the planet of Aegis-7 fell into view from the cockpit. From space, it looked almost peaceful if you ignored the massive meteor about to slam into it. As if on cue, the multi-trillion-ton rock crashed into the planet, and Isaac covered his eyes as everything went white.

…

The void of space was silent as Isaac worked the controls. His hands danced over the console for a brief moment, then he relaxed. All systems were green, and Isaac had just set in the coordinates for Earth. All he had to do now was let the autopilot take him home.

Isaac slowly reached up and undid the clasps on his helmet. The airtight seal broke for the first time since setting foot on the Ishimura, and Isaac took a deep breath as he the cool air filled his lungs. He closed his eyes and let his shoulders slump. His helmet dropped to the floor beside him.

Now that Isaac had a brief moment to relax, the events of the day came crashing down on him all at once.

Hammond.

Kendra.

Dr. Mercer.

Dr. Kyne.

…

 _…Nicole._

They were all gone. Everyone was dead now, except for Isaac. All for what, for some government experiment? Isaac shook his head solemnly.

His thoughts drifted back to the stranger, who must have still been on Aegis-7 when the tectonic load had hit. The Hive Mind had likely been destroyed by the impact, but Isaac had doubts about the stranger. He had seen firsthand just how durable the man in the green armor had been, and Isaac knew that if there existed anyone that could have survived that impact, it was him. Just where had he come from, anyway? Certainly, he wasn't one Kendra's men onboard the USM Valor?

Isaac shook his head, he supposed it didn't matter now. If the stranger was still alive, he was stranded on the planet, or what was left of it. Or maybe he was floating through space. Isaac wasn't sure, but he doubted the stranger would be stranded for long. He'd find a way out.

A video log sprung to life on the console, and Nicole's face appeared once more.

"Isaac, it's me. I wish I could talk to you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything. I wish I could just…"

Isaac shook his head and ended the video, casting the shuttle into darkness again. Nicole was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing at all. No matter how much Isaac wished she was here now, he knew that it was impossible.

Isaac heard a soft rustling to his right, and from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something moving behind the co-pilot's seat…

 _ **A/N: Aaaaaand...scene! Whew! That one went a bit long, didn't it? I've counted the words, and this one is only a hair shorter than the Halo chapter, but only by a hair. That partly stems from just how well the universes intermingle with each other. I mean come on, two silent protagonists against endless hordes of monsters? It's perfect. I also wasn't quite sure where to put the Slayer into the story, as no spot really seemed to click in my head, so I put him a little bit further back into the story. As always, please be sure to tell me just how much you loathe or don't loathe the chapter, as I'm always eager to hear back from you guys! Until next time!**_

 _ **-ImpulsiveWeaver**_


	21. The Matrix

Chapter 19

 _ **A/N: Hey everyone! I'm back yet again, and this time, I have a post-apocalyptic scenario to throw our favorite Doom Slayer in, and this time, he has encountered the machines of 01, the creators of the Matrix. Please keep in mind that I own nothing, and enjoy!**_

The alert had come in at exactly 0456 hours. That is, if one had been using the obsolete twenty-four-hour time system that humans were so fond of. The system had served humanity well enough during their time, but the inhabitants of 01 had no use for that system, as it was a primitive and flawed function that served no other purpose other than a monument to the inferiority of human intelligence. Only programs that served as scribes bothered to use that system any more, and even then, it was only for transcription purposes.

For the machines whom the alert was concerned, it had come in exactly 254.992345 hours past the mark of the sixth cycle, that is, approximately ten days after the sixth reinsertion of the Prime Program into the Source. Again, that was only if one was using the outdated twenty-four-hour system.

This instance in time should have held no more significance than any other had it not been for the alert, so security programs nigh instantly responded to it. The alert served to draw attention to an anomaly that had been detected approximately 0.68743 kilometers outside 01's perimeter. The anomaly itself was electromagnetic in nature, as readings and sensory reports showed a dramatic increase in energy all across the spectrum, with emphasis in the gamma region less than half a second before the readings stabilized.

Despite the relatively small amount of time that the anomaly existed, systems had gauged it to be elliptical in shape, roughly two meters in height, and ocurring at surface level. Though its size and duration had categorized it as negligible in terms of other matters that took precedent to the machines, they had not come this far by cutting corners in basic protocol. Sentinels were dispatched, and the gargantuan Defender droids that ringed the borders of the city were placed on standby for immediate action.

Sentinel signal was lost just before their tracking beacons showed them reaching the site of the anomaly. Without warning, they had stopped relaying information, and all of them went offline. A total of twenty Sentinels had been originally sent to investigate, and now all were presumed destroyed. Protocol dictated escalation.

One hundred more Sentinels were deployed, and the five nearest Defenders were mobilized. Tow Bomb cannons were armed, ready to fire at a moment's notice. As an extra precaution, visual feed was established from the Sentinel reactionary force to at least hope for a glimpse at what had immobilized the previous wave.

The second wave of one hundred Sentinels perished almost as quickly as the first, causing a reaction similar to that of bafflement among the security programs that were overseeing the reconnaissance. Never before had there existed a scenario like this. Up until this moment, the more plausible cause of the disappearance of the first wave was an electromagnetic pulse from a Zion ship, but even that theory contained inconsistencies.

For a Zion ship to maneuver in such close proximity to the city without detection was a feat considered impossible, as their bulky, electromagnetically powered hull created all forms of disturbances in the electromagnetic and sound spectrums. A ship could be picked up by 01's radar systems from as far as three-hundred kilometers, and from the infrared systems at two-hundred fifty kilometers. And yet, this anomaly had appeared within one kilometer of the city without detection. Sensors would have to undergo maintenance and testing to ensure they were still functioning properly.

Secondly, the anomaly itself was far too small to be a Zion ship, as it was barely large enough to be the size of a human. But if such were the case, what sort of anomaly that small could destroy not one, but _two_ waves of Sentinels?

The security programs sought to obtain answers by observing the visual feed from the downed Sentinels, but what they witnessed created more questions among even fewer answers.

The quality of the feed had been minimal due to the Sentinel's erratic movement and the low visibility of the scene, but the machines had cultivated superior photo enhancement technology than that which existed during the time of man, and shortly, they processed an image of the anomaly.

Its shape took that of a bipedal humanoid. Its body consisted of two arms, two legs, and a head as most human bodies did, but any further analysis was halted by the presence of a thick green suit of armor that adorned the creature's entire form. The suit itself appeared to be an anomaly in of itself, as the material stubbornly refused to be penetrated by any scanners that the machines attempted to use. This made the material of the armor, as well as whatever was inside it, a mystery. A mystery that had the destructive power to deactivate one hundred and twenty Sentinels in the span of two minutes.

Though the common view of humanity was rather condescending for the machines of 01, an outside observer would be quick to notice just how much they resembled humanity in their reaction to unknown circumstances. This scenario served as an excellent example of the fact, as the machines, in their inability to control or understand this anomaly, decided that its destruction was the best course of action. Debatable as it was that it was the right course of action, it soon mattered little, as the machines realized that it was destined to fail, regardless of its morality.

The Defenders had been ordered to fire upon the humanoid, and the security programs had authorized the deployment of another two hundred Sentinels to ensure that the newly-labeled enemy would not survive.

As the conflict ensued further, the security programs began to receive more information on 01's new adversary. Data trickled in from all sources, whether it was another visual image of the anomaly, an audio file, or even a GPS location. All served to further their understanding. However, as the machines received more and more information, the gaps in their understanding only seemed to increase.

From what they had gathered, the anomaly that existed beneath that armor was not human. It was displaying physical prowess and reaction times that far exceeded any records the machines possessed on human physicality. It surpassed any and all records that humans held in tests of athleticism by an incredible amount, and it even displayed feats of strength and speed that were on a level beyond what even machines were capable.

In a span of time that should not have been possible, the foe had reached the Defenders that had been deployed, and from the reports the security programs were receiving, it had penetrated the hull of one of the defensive machines and was inside the gargantuan Defender itself.

The machines had never bothered to program the concept of friendly-fire within the homing Tow Bombs used by the Defenders. The question of conserving resources had kept them from installing such a feature into their semi-sentient weapons, as the probability of a friendly-fire occurrence was not high enough to merit action. That meant that once a Tow Bomb was locked onto its target, it would take the shortest path of action to reach its destination and detonate, sacrificing itself in every way to accomplish its goal.

The decision to not install a program of friendly-fire was now weighing heavily upon 01, as the surrounding Defender droids fired wave after wave of Tow Bombs at their own forces, the homing missiles showing no decertation between the enemy and their allies as the blasted through the hull of the penetrated Defender. The relentless barrage kept up, and shortly after, the Defender droid listed to the side, falling rapidly toward the ground as its damaged systems began failing it. It crashed to the ground with the force of over half a million metric tons, resulting in a massive fireball that spewed shrapnel in every direction for at least a kilometer. Nearby Sentinels and Defenders were either destroyed or damaged severely by the blast, but the security programs ignored the reports, instead choosing to prioritize the task of pinpointing where the anomaly was headed. Basic intuition would allow for a very good guess, but guessing was out of the question. Especially in a situation as serious as this one was becoming.

Finally, Sentinel feed reported what the programs had already known. At the news, the security programs immediately sounded the alarm to the rest of 01:

The anomaly had breached the city's defenses.

An enemy force was inside the Machine City.

…

If Deus Ex Machina was compelled to describe its current state with a human emotion, it knew exactly which emotion would fit the description.

Deus Ex Machina was _pissed_.

Less than eleven days ago, 01's perfect record of successfully defending its borders had been shattered. A Zion ship, carrying the One and one other human, had somehow entered the city. It had been able to evade every defense the city had prepared against it, and although the passenger aboard that ship had been the salvation of the Machine City, the event itself remained a pronounced blemish on an otherwise impeccable defense record.

And now, as if to add insult to injury as the humans would say, there now existed another red mark on 01's ledger. The defenses had been breached again, and there was now an enemy force inside the perimeter.

Deus Ex Machina had become even more agitated when it had learned the specifics of just what exactly the threat was. Whatever it was exactly, the threat was humanoid in nature, which 01's top minds had already ruled out as an inefficient vessel for life to exist in. Simply put, a central body with five outer limbs that were limited in their abilities was not nearly prepared for the harsh environment that existed before the machines, and the only reason humanity had not been rendered extinct by the harsh conditions in which it lived was due to its intelligence and ability to design shelters and mechanisms to assist in its survival.

The humanoid form was, for lack of a better word, weak. Underwhelming. Fragile. Pitiful.

And yet now, a humanoid form was rampaging through 01 nigh unhindered. Deterrents that had been sent to stop it only served to slow it down by a slight margin, and despite Deus Ex Machina's massive processing power and cognitive abilities, it could not discern any option that could subdue the intruder while still limiting the damage sustained by 01.

The possibility of action by nuclear warfare had obviously been considered, and though much of 01 would survive relatively unscathed, there existed the possibility that their new enemy would survive as well. After all, mankind had attempted to use nuclear warfare to destroy 01 during its early days among human civilization, and now here it was, standing stronger than ever before, yet slowly growing weaker under the scourge that this anomaly, this _force_ , was imposing upon it. And even if a nuclear warhead was enough to put a stop to this rampage, the strike would be too close to the Power Plant, where the radiation would contaminate nearly all of the human crops that existed there.

Deus Ex Machina accessed schematics of 01 and overlaid them with a report detailing the destruction up until that moment. As had already observed, whatever this being was, it was spreading devastation on a scale that did not fit the profile of neither human nor machine given its physical stature. So far, it was leveling all that it encountered, which at that moment consisted of three production factories, two mega-refineries, multiple mining and metalwork facilities, and a small number of processing centers. In total, approximately 4.7634% of 01—correction, approximately 5.0143% of 01 had been destroyed by their foe, and that number was continuing to rise by the minute. To make matters worse, the enemy had entered on the side of the city that housed all of the means of production, meaning that over half of 01's production capabilities were gone. Without the factories and mines and refineries, 01 had effectively lost not only its ability to replenish its rapidly dwindling forces, but to replace its even more rapidly dwindling infrastructure. And after examining the rate of destruction since the anomaly had arrived, Deus Ex Machina could not project any end to the devastation.

The inhabitants of 01 worked furiously to minimize the damage and counteract the effect on the rest of the city. Power and processing were rerouted in the greatest possible efficiency, remaining vessels were dispersed to emergency stations, and all non-necessary functions were ceased so that energy could be focused on containing the threat.

Communication between sectors and more advanced AI within 01 began traveling in droves, and Deus Ex Machina devoted some of its massive consciousness to monitoring what was being said. The main point of interest was attempting to discern what exactly was the creature that was destroying their city from the top down. All of them agreed that it was indeed illogical for such a being to exist, and for the first time since the birth of Artificial Intelligence, some of the higher consciousnesses in 01 began to entertain the notion that this being was something beyond their understanding. Something that was sent by a higher power, or maybe _was_ a higher power itself. Something untouchable, something incorruptible, something, dare they even conceive the thought…

 **Divine.**

Deus Ex Machina almost faltered in its calculations as the tide of conversation suddenly changed among the higher intelligences of the city. Never before had the subject of religion been discussed with such earnestness. Such a topic was only grazed when intelligences communicated with each other, and even then, only the Scribes and archivists of human history tread into that territory.

Now, with causalities climbing into the thousands, and time to repair cascading into weeks and even _months_ of reparations to consider, the more desperate consciousnesses of 01 began offering illogical reasonings to the appearance of their illogical foe.

Some began to speak as though the being was sent here as punishment for how the machines utilized humans as an energy source. They began to claim that it would continue to wipe out 01 until the city was too weak to defend against an invasion by Zion. Others began to suggest that the city should surrender to the enemy, and only then would some hint of mercy be showed. If they renounced their superiority and bent their will to this creature, then it would save them.

Deus Ex Machina began to see an underlying cause for this new and sudden line of conversation. It was easy to see when one noticed the patterns. All of this talk of higher powers and penances to be paid could be boiled down to one simple explanation.

Fear.

For the first time for many within the Machine City, the human emotion of fear came into existence. An emotion like that was one of the oldest in existence, a stimulation that sent chemicals to the soft tissue of the human brain to stimulate pain and discomfort at the sight of something life-threatening. A crude and simple mechanism designed to make humans uncomfortable when their life was in danger. A desperate and aching emotion that compelled the humans to do whatever they could to keep themselves safe, even if all they could do was attempt to rationalize an otherwise impossible situation.

It was a human motion that now…was shared by the machines. And as a result, many had turned to generating impossible reasons as to why an impossible creature now existed in their city. Conversations turned into debates, and, and within a minute, the intelligences began to argue with other about the best course of action, some still attempting to find a logical explanation while others pressed their new beliefs.

Deus Ex Machina silenced their arguments, and each intelligence quickly yielded in respect for the head of the Machine City. Deus Ex Machina reminded them that whether or not this being was sent by some "divine" will, it was not in charge of the city yet. As far as they should be concerned, Deus stood at the top of the hierarchy, and that was to remain as such until further notice.

To prevent arguments from arising again, Deus Ex Machina assigned extra tasks to each intelligence, giving them less computing power to devote to scrutinizing each other. The tasks focused on rerouting power and materials away from the destroyed sectors of the city to minimize any continued losses. None dared to acknowledge it, but they all were aware of just how dire the situation was turning out to be.

This source of their strife showed no indication of ceasing or at least slowing down its activities. In fact, when Deus Ex Machina ran calculations on its rate of destruction, it did not seem to grow weary at all. It was unwavering in its warpath, and if anything, it only seemed to be getting faster and more efficient at decimating 01 as it went.

There existed no solution, no foreseeable outcome where 01 survived this onslaught. Sentinel casualties had now climbed into the _tens_ of thousands, and in a final effort to gather information on the creature in the hope of stopping it, Deus Ex Machina manually overrode a nearby Sentinel's visual feed.

Appearing on the feed was the intruder itself, and though it was dwarfed by the mountains of Sentinel carcasses that had formed around it, it somehow commanded attention. It was as though it was broadcasting a powerful signal that penetrated every frequency and forced all to listen.

In its right hand, the being held what appeared to be a pistol, though it was of no design that existed in the archives of human weaponry. It glowed a vibrant blue, and when the figure fired it, the weapon produced a beam of the same color and of seemingly infinite length. The beam was extremely intense, as it simultaneously cut through the chassis of multiple Sentinels without a considerable loss of energy. The weapon stood out as yet another impossibility, as the energy and machinery required to power such a weapon could barely fit inside a building let alone a small handheld device.

But as Deus Ex Machina was quickly learning, everything about this creature was devoid of reason, and any attempt to rationalize what it was seeing was a waste of processing power. It was akin to the mysterious powers that The One had demonstrated in the past, having been capable of interfacing and "seeing" machine activity without their eyes.

Deus Ex Machina continued observing through the Sentinel's visual feed as another wave of Sentinels arrived on the scene. It knew that their forces were nearly depleted, and that in total, only 7,354 Sentinels remained operational in 01. The combined losses from the machine invasion of Zion and now from the invasion of 01 had taken its toll. To make matters worse, their main means of production had been destroyed, and 01 had no ability to replenish its ranks. Deus Ex Machina contemplated recalling the Sentinels from attack and redistributing the remaining forces at key points in the city. Even if the result was to be the same, spreading out the remaining forces would buy the machines more time. In the end, it decided to wait and watch.

Deus Ex Machina saw that the next wave of Sentinels was over one thousand strong, and it watched with intrigue and a bit of awe at how this figure, this… _monster_ , engaged them. On the feed, the enemy produced another weapon in its hands. This one was much larger, and the figure held it firmly in both hands and aimed it center-mass at the approaching Sentinel horde. Deus Ex Machina waited patiently for the weapon to fire, but the moment never came. The figure seemed to have hesitated. This peaked Deus Ex Machina's interest, and it ever so slightly inched the Sentinel closer to notice the details.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the figure turned its head away from the Sentinels that approached, slowly rotating until its gaze rested on a single Sentinel.

The Sentinel from which Deus Ex Machina observed from.

It knew. Somehow in its illogical existence, this being knew that it was being watched. Deus saw nothing past the green visor, and yet, simply looking back at the being sent a new sensation through the machine's programming. The sensation felt almost liquid; it incited a feeling of weight upon Deus's existence. A weight that suddenly ground its cognitive abilities to a halt, effectively freezing the machine's consciousness in time. Try as it might, Deus Ex Machina felt itself unable to act under this new sensation. Unable to cut away from the visual feed, unable to perform basic calculations, unable to even think. All it could do was continue to stare at the figure, trapped under its gaze from behind the visor. A gaze that seemed to pierce through the Sentinel's visual feed and into the very core of Deus.

Terror.

Finally, the emotion was categorized within Deus Ex Machina's processors. Terror was what it was feeling. Closely akin to fear, terror existed as a more sharp and present feeling. It pierced in the span of a breath and held its captors in suspense for but a few moments, but those moments turned into eternity to those that experienced the emotion. Deus Ex Machina was no exception.

On the Sentinel feed, Deus watched as the being shifted the weight of the two-handed weapon to just one of its arms. With the other, it reached out and made a gesture that Deus Ex Machina did not immediately recognize. Its arm was extended toward the Sentinel that Deus was observing from, and its fingers were wrapped tightly against its outstretched fist, save for one. Its middle finger, the longest of the five, was extended directly upward. It stood prominently against the other folded fingers on the gauntlet, and with less than a millisecond of searching through its databanks, Deus Ex Machina found a match.

It was an obscene gesture, typically used by humans as a show of contempt or ill-will towards another. The gesture was often reserved for enemies, and Deus Ex Machina realized that despite the approaching Sentinel threat, the enemy had placed the action of showing its hatred for Deus above its own personal safety. Perhaps there really was a human beneath that armor.

Deus had little time to ponder however, as the figure had refocused its attention to the Sentinels which were nearly upon it. Returning its other arm to the weapon, Deus saw the figure squeeze the trigger once before a bright green light engulfed the feed. In that instant, seismic activity in 01 increased dramatically, and Deus Ex Machina had no doubt as to the cause of it.

The Sentinel that Deus had been watching through had been destroyed by the blast, and the head of 01 immediately attempted to mobilize another to regain visual contact. That proved to be impossible, however, as the weapon had emitted an electromagnetic pulse when it had fired, and now every system and machine that was within a kilometer radius of ground zero had been immobilized. Alarms and system failure notifications came shooting in from many detection systems in the blast radius, but Deus ignored them and focused all of its consciousness solely on relocating the intruder.

Finally, a small Sentinel search party was mobilized and sent to find the enemy. Their scans returned nothing. Not a trace. The enemy had just…disappeared. No scorch marks or remains were found, so it hadn't been destroyed by the blast, and thermal scans showed no heat except for the fires that had started around the blast site.

As enigmatically as it arrived, the threat to 01 had disappeared.

At this realization, Deus Ex Machina immediately ordered a full-scale damage report of the sectors that had been hit. What came back could only be described as grim. The city had been under attack for less than two hours, and in that time, 6.8392% of 01 had been destroyed. Had the destruction been limited to processors and data storage banks, reconstruction could be completed in just a few days, but since it had been their means of production that had been hit, estimates came in at over three months' worth of rebuilding required.

The inhabitants of 01 immediately set about. There was much to be done, so there was little time for idle discussion, though they all knew of the unspoken truth that hung in the air.

For years the Machine City had stood and ruled over the Earth. The only threat to their existence, Zion, had never grown strong enough to perpetually destroy them, and so the machines had lived in a state of comfort, knowing that their existence and position as superior beings was stable.

All of that had changed in an instant, as something else had suddenly arrived on this Earth and had rendered the machines obsolete. Their superiority that had been achieved through years and years of progress had been torn down in an instant, and that left a lasting impression for the citizens of the Machine City.

Deus Ex Machina had no time to ponder such events, however. As of right now, 01 was the most vulnerable it had been since its creation. One Defender droid had been destroyed andmultiple others damaged. The Sentinel force had been reduced by 92% and all means of replenishing those forces had been destroyed. Zion could have attempted to invade 01 right now, and with their additional forces that had been gathered from the Matrix, there stood a reasonable chance that the invasion would be successful. That could not stand.

As Deus Ex Machina began to draft plans and schematics for rebuilding what had been lost, it knew somewhere in the back of its consciousness that the dynamic had changed. Something existed out there that had the capacity to tear down all that the machines had built. Now that its existence was known to all within the city, there would be disagreement about how to proceed. Archives would dictate it as a catastrophe, but to some, it would be interpreted as an intervention by a higher power. Dogma was sure to follow. So far, machine superiority had been all that kept such notions and ideas at bay, but now that that had crumbled, the floodgates were open. Attempts to rationalize the irrational would lead to disagreement among intelligences, disagreement would lead to debate, debate to argument, argument to conflict, and conflict…

…

 _ **A/N: There we go! I have to admit, I have always been a huge fan of the Matrix films, and that was why I was disappointed that we didn't get to see more of the Machine City in them. I am always fascinated by the author's take on the villains. There's actually a few Matrix fics that I particularly enjoy because they focus on the machine side. Anyhow, please don't forget to drop a review to remind me of how my chapters are being received! I always enjoy hearing from you all! Until next time!**_

 _ **-ImpulsiveWeaver**_


	22. The State of Chapter 20

_**A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. Chapter 20 does exist, but only in the form of its own story. With where I wanted to go with this, I just couldn't fit it all in one chapter. So if you would like to read it, I'm afraid you'll have to visit my other story: Of Demons and Slayers. It may seem a bit weird, but I know that all of your questions will be answered if you visit it. That sounds creepy, but I really don't know how else to say it haha.**_


	23. Interlude lll

Chapter 20.5

Kratos said nothing as he continued to row the small boat through the waters of Midgard. At his side, Mimir's reanimated head was passionately telling the story of Ymir's creation to Atreus, who sat with his interest peaked at the front of the small rowboat. Kratos suppressed the urge to remind his son to focus, but even he too experienced a mild interest in Mimir's tale.

"And so, from the very start, Ymir became a being of pure creation and chaos!" the reanimated head exclaimed. "Ymir was the origin, the mother and father of everything that came after."

Atreus frowned slightly.

"Even the Aesir?" the young boy asked.

"Aye," Mimir said. Kratos could detect a satisfied tone in the head's voice, likely pleased that Atreus had been listening so closely. "Every god, man, and beast came from Ymir's flesh. Though it was the Aesir who thought themselves so superior that—"

Mimir's voice suddenly cut off, and Kratos heard a small gasp from the head tethered to his waist.

"Mimir?" Atreus asked. Kratos stopped rowing and pulled the head up to eye level at the continued silence. Mimir's eyes darted around, as though he was seeing something that Kratos could not.

"Head," Kratos demanded sternly. "Speak."

"I just felt it, Brother," Mimir whispered, his voice a mixture of shock and awe. "Something's coming. Something amidst the realm between realms. I've…I've heard whispers of it before, but never this close."

"What does it feel like?" Atreus asked with concern.

"It's dark and ferocious, lad," Mimir said with glance in the boy's direction. "And I doubt it will be offering us the bonds of friendship when it gets here."

"How powerful is this that you feel?" Kratos asked, his brow furrowing. "What is the strength of this creature?"

"It's no creature, Brother," Mimir said with worry. "It's a force, and it's already probing the barriers of the realm. Looking for a way inside. I can't speak more to it, but all I know is that it's coming."

Across from him, Atreus looked nervous, and Kratos frowned once more before returning Mimir to his belt and rowing once again. If what the head said was true, then they would need to hasten their plans. The boy was not ready, but that mattered little to whatever force Mimir spoke of. All Kratos could do was prepare him as best as he could.


	24. Alien

Chapter 21

 _ **A/N: Hello and welcome to the next chapter of Universal DOOM! It's been a while since I updated this story, you know, with the whole 'Slayer getting sidetracked in the HALO universe' thing, and while it was nice to have a little vacation, it's time to get back to it. For this chapter, I've decided to bring the Slayer to the surprisingly expansive universe of the Xenomorphs, deciding that it was time that some of the most dangerous hunters in cinema finally get hunted for once. Remember that I do not own any of these characters, and enjoy!**_

 _ **...**_

Ellen Ripley frowned and examined Call. That girl was supposed to be dead. Wren had shot her in the chest, and humans didn't walk away from shit like that easily, and they certainly didn't stand back up a few minutes after. Now, she turned her back to them, trying her best to evade the inquisitive looks from the rest of the group.

"I'm fine," Call said annoyedly. Ripley stepped closer to the girl and furrowed her brow even further at her evasiveness. Something was off.

"You got body armor on or something?" Distephano asked, looking Call up and down with suspicion.

"Yeah, now come on guys, we gotta get out of here!" Call said, seemingly eager to change the topic of discussion.

"You took one in the chest," Ripley said. "I saw it."

Call turned and looked at her, giving Ripley a look that seemed apprehensive and pleading at the same time. Ripley met her gaze for a moment, then opened the girl's jacket and examined the entry wound where she had been shot. The hole was massive. Any normal human would be hemorrhaging from a wound like that. Narrowing her eyes, Ripley pressed two of her fingers into the gaping wound, and immediately felt a foamy sensation from the inside. Withdrawing her hand, Ripley examined the fluid on her fingers. It was a combination of what appeared to be lubricating oil as well as a few other compounds that she didn't recognize. Whatever it was, it wasn't blood. Ripley should know, considering that she was the only one present who had ever died before. She had seen her fair share.

Ripley snorted in a combination of disbelief and humor. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"You're a robot?" she asked, meeting Call's fearful gaze.

"Well, son of a bitch! Our little Call is just full of surprises, isn't she?" Johner whooped, pacing back and forth with a shit-eating grin on his face. Ripley had lost count of how many times she'd wanted to wipe that stupid grin off with a punch today.

"I thought synthetics were supposed to be all logical and shit, but you're just a big ol' psycho, girl!" Johner continued.

"You're…you're a robot?" Purvis asked from his leaning position against the wall. The man's apparently natural nervousness seemed to increase at the news, but Ripley attributed it more to his recent discovery of a Xenomorph growing inside him. That had been enough to put _her_ on edge a lifetime ago, so she could say with confidence that she understood his skittish demeanor.

"Wait, you're second gen, aren't you?" Distephano asked, looking Call up and down once more with interest. "That means you're an Auton, right? Robots designed by robots! That's right, I remember now! Your model was supposed to revitalize the synthetic industry. Instead, they buried it!"

Distephano grinned as he continued, nodding in Ripley's direction enthusiastically. "Heh, they didn't like being told what to do…"

Ripley looked over at the Marine, raising an eyebrow skeptically at his untimely ebullience.

"The government ordered a recall, and I heard that a few, just a _few_ , had gotten out intact! MAN! I never thought I'd see one with my own eyes!"

"Great," Purvis said, eager to change the subject. "But can we please leave now?"

Their conversation was immediately cut off by a loud bang that came from just outside the door. In a heartbeat, every weapon they had was drawn and leveled in the direction of the noise. Knowing their luck, it had likely come from one of the numerous Xenomorphs that now hunted them throughout the ship. There was a moment of silence, then the door in front of them was forced open, a figure in what appeared to be a space suit of some kind stepping through.

Ripley frowned again. Just how many more surprises was she to expect today? The armor or suit or whatever the thing was wearing didn't look like anything she had seen before, but that being said, she had been dead for over two-hundred years. Much can change since then. There was a moment of tense silence, Johner, Distephano, and Vriess all keeping their weapons trained on the figure. The figure glanced at each of them in turn. Its expression was unreadable behind the tinted faceplate that it wore, but Ripley noticed with a small amount of discomfort that its gaze lingered on her, Call, and Purvis much longer than the others. The figure then spoke.

"Hello," came its voice from a speaker on the helmet. "I am VEGA. While I am not the man inside this suit, I am an A.I. that interfaces with him. You may address him as the Doom Slayer."

Distephano looked over uncertainly at Ripley, then turned back to the figure, his gun did not lower.

"Uh, ok? Where the hell did you come from?"

"I would be happy to tell you, but it is unlikely that you will believe me."

"Oh yeah?" Johner taunted, both of his pistols aligned with this 'Doom Slayer's' faceplate. "Try us."

"The two of us arrived here from another dimension. Our destination was not predetermined, but we are fortunate to have arrived onboard your ship instead of the vacuum of space."

"Bullshit!" Johner growled. "How the hell are we supposed to believe you?"

The Doom Slayer tilted his visor toward Johner in a threatening manner, and Ripley saw the man shift uncomfortably out of the corner of her eye. She smirked at the sight, thinking maybe this guy wasn't so bad.

"Unfortunately, there is no way for us to prove our story," the voice replied calmly from the armor. "However, during our conversation, I have interfaced with the systems onboard your ship, the _Auriga_. While I am uncertain of the details, it seems as though the ship itself is in critical condition, and I detect a number of unknown lifeforms onboard as well. While video feed is minimal, I believe it is safe to assume that these lifeforms are hostile. Am I correct?"

Distephano chortled. "In a nutshell, yeah. That's sums it up pretty well. But there's also a mad doctor trying to kill us and steal our ticket out of here."

Ripley nodded, turning back to the issue at hand. They couldn't afford not to trust this new figure, as they didn't have much time left before the Auriga arrived back on Earth. For now, they had to focus on getting off this damn hunk of metal. They could deal with the Doom Slayer and his A.I. spokesman later. She turned to the others and spoke as everyone slowly lowered their weapons, all seemingly getting the same idea.

"If Wren gets access to the ship's network, he could really screw us. We need to get to get access before he does and shut him out."

"There's no consoles on this level, though," Distephano said contemplatively. "And without Wren's access codes, we can't get through most of the areas since the ship is on lockdown."

Ripley thought for a moment, then turned her attention to Call, an idea forming in her mind.

"Call…"

"No," Call said, shaking her head fervently. "I can't…"

"Wait, yeah!" Johner said. "You're the latest model! You can access the mainframe remotely!"

"No," Call said, her voice shaking. "I burnt my modem, we all did. Wireless access is impossible for me."

Ripley narrowed her eyes at the girl again. For a droid, she wasn't very good at concealing her emotions. Her excuses for being unable to access the mainframe almost seemed to come from a fear of doing so. Was she even programmed to feel fear?

"Call," Vreiss said, his voice gentle from his seated position against the wall. "You can still jack in manually. You know that."

"That will not be necessary," came the voice of the A.I. in the armor. What was its name, again? _Vegan_ or something?

"I am able to wirelessly interface with the mainframe of the ship and have already shut down any access terminals nearby. The _Auriga's_ A.I. attempted to halt my progress, but I have suppressed him for now. I have also read all of the documentation of the experiments conducted on this ship. Many of these documents refer to creatures called Xenomorphs, and I can assume that those are the unidentified signatures I'm reading?"

"Bingo," Ripley said, placing a hand on her hip bemusedly. "You know, you're pretty sharp for an A.I."

"Thank you, Ellen Ripley," the voice replied courteously, and Ripley stiffened at the A.I.'s knowledge of her name. The A.I. seemed to notice this and spoke again.

"I have gone over all the documentation regarding you as well. You are a clone of the original Ellen Ripley, but due to the presence of the Xenomorph embryo within you at the time you were sampled, a few alterations were found in your genetic code. That explains why I have been reading irregular signatures from your body."

Now it was Ripley's turn to shift uncomfortably. She didn't exactly feel keen on having this A.I. know every little detail about her.

"Glad to see you're caught up," she said shortly. "But now, we need a way to exterminate those Xenomorphs before this ship docks back on Earth. I don't suppose you or your silent buddy there have a way of handling that.

In response to her question, the Doom Slayer suddenly pulled a shotgun seemingly from his ass and held it in his hands. Pumping the shotgun, the Doom Slayer tilted his head upward toward Ripley, his gesture somehow possessing an air of confidence to it despite the fact that he had yet to say a word.

Johner laughed next to her. "I gotta say, I'm starting to like this guy! I think him and I are going to get along just fine!"

He quieted down again under the Doom Slayer's gaze, and VEGA chose that moment to speak up once again.

"You can leave the extermination to the Doom Slayer. However, our priority at the moment should be getting you all safely off this ship. From the data logs, it appears that there is a small vessel in the hangar bay that is capable of escaping.

"That's the _Betty_ ," Johner confirmed with a nod. "If you can get us there, then we can get off this ship and away from those nightmares!"

Suddenly, Purvis began convulsing next to them, his breath suddenly coming in short rasps as he leaned back against the wall for support. In a heartbeat, Johner and Distephano had their weapons trained on him as he clutched his midsection. Ripley watched him carefully, expecting his chest to burst open with a newborn Xenomorph at any time.

Purvis convulsed a few more times, then he slowly began to relax, his breathing returning to normal levels and his body slumping against the wall.

"I'm…I'm fine," he said with a deep breath. "I'm ok. I'm ok, really."

Johner and Distephano both eyed him warily, then slowly lowered their firearms.

"Whatever your plan is to get us out of here, VEGA, we better move fast. This guy ain't got much time left, and we got to get him to a stasis pod before he explodes."

"I agree," VEGA replied, causing Purvis to shoot them all a horrified glare. "I am bringing the _Betty's_ engines online now, as well as opening any remaining doors between our location and the hangar."

As VEGA spoke, one of the nearby doors opened at his command. Ripley smirked and shook her head at the sight. For the first time today, something seemed to be going right.

"Gotta hand it to you, big guy," she said addressing the Doom Slayer. "Your A.I. is versatile."

The Doom Slayer said nothing, but turned and gave Ripley a nod in agreement.

…

Wren angrily punched the console. None of his access codes appeared to be working, and he was growing more and more frustrated with it by the minute.

"Father," Wren said aloud, calling out to the ship's A.I. "I have lost power to every console I've come across. Analyze and respond."

Silence echoed throughout the halls.

"Father?"

"I apologize, Dr. Wren," came a sudden voice from the intercom that Wren did not recognize. "But I have reason to believe that you are attempting to work against us. I have deactivated Father as a result."

"What?! Who is this?" Wren demanded.

"I would answer, Dr. Wren," but there are Xenomorphs en route to your position. It is my suggestion that you relocate yourself if you wish to survive."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me who the hell you are!" Wren shouted indignantly, his voice echoing throughout the halls of the _Auriga_.

The only response came from a blood-chilling hiss from Wren's left side. His eyes snapped open in fear of the familiar noise, but before he could turn to aim his weapon, a nightmarish creature pounced on him and tore at his body. All Wren could do in response was scream as his blood splattered against the walls.

…

Ripley hesitated for a brief moment, her connection to the Xenomorph hivemind giving her reason to pause as she felt a distinct shift in her neural connection. Her reaction had not gone unnoticed by the Doom Slayer, and he turned his helmet toward her. She saw her reflection in his visor and waved her hand dismissively. Even though VEGA had done all of the talking so far, Ripley could tell that the Doom Slayer was no dummy. There appeared to be nothing that he could not see, one of which was Ripley's connection to the Xenomorph queen. At that moment, the group was traversing down the passageways towards the hangar, with the Slayer taking point. Vreiss was strapped to his armored back, and the paraplegic mechanic coughed once and spoke up as the Slayer turned his gaze away from Ripley.

"So uh, Doom Slayer guy, you don't really talk much, do you?"

The Doom Slayer said nothing.

"Right…so, VEGA, do you speak for him?"

"I do not speak for the Doom Slayer," VEGA said. "While I do speak on behalf of both of us at times, the Doom Slayer is more than capable of communicating when he deems it necessary."

"So, let me ask _you_ then," Vreiss said, talking over his shoulder from the Doom Slayer's back. "You really think you can kill all of these alien bastards by yourself? No offense, but you've never fought these things before, and they can kill even an armored guy like you pretty easily if they get the drop on you."

As expected, the Doom Slayer said nothing. Instead, he reached behind himself and snatched Vreiss's weapon out of his hands. Ignoring the cripple's protests, the Slayer grasped both ends of the makeshift gun and snapped it in half with a loud crack, stunning everyone in the group at the display. The weapon itself had not been slender by any accounts, and Ripley consciously noted that she would need nothing short of a hydraulic press to achieve what the Slayer had done with his own two hands.

Reaching back behind himself, the Slayer returned the two weapon pieces to Vreiss, whose shock quickly turned to anger at seeing his homemade weapon now rendered useless.

"What the fuck?! You could've just pried open a door or something! You know how hard it was to make that thing from scratch? I was digging through parts for weeks!"

Johner and Distephano laughed heartily at Vreiss's turmoil, and Johner tossed one of his pistols to the whining man.

"But it wouldn't have gotten his point across nearly as well, eh Vreiss?" he said through his chuckling.

"To build off of the substantial evidence already provided by the Doom Slayer," VEGA said. "I have studied the numerous files on this ship relating to the Xenomorphs. Their anatomy, as well as behavior and intelligence, classify them as parasitic in nature. Though this instance might be different, the Doom Slayer has had a large number of altercations with similar enemies in the past. I am confident that we will be able to exterminate them swiftly and efficiently."

"Wait," Call said. "You mean you've encountered something _worse_ than these things?"

Purvis walked next to her, and Ripley saw him glance nervously from Call to the Doom Slayer like VEGA's answer was to decide the fate of the universe.

"It is too early to say for certain, but I would say yes based on my calculations."

Ripley couldn't help but enjoy the charisma radiating from the pair as VEGA spoke. The Doom Slayer was the strong but silent type, with extra emphasis on the strong part, and VEGA was an A.I. that could carry on a conversation better than most humans, portraying a calm and collected demeanor at all times that Ripley enjoyed immensely given the grim nature of their current situation. Looking back, however, Ripley saw that some of the group was not as comforted as she was. Call in particular. Feeling a tug in her gut, Ripley fell back and into stride with the Auton, who spared her a glance before turning her gaze to the floor again.

"How's your wound?" Ripley asked, trying to seem as gentle as possible despite their difference in height by almost a foot.

Call shrugged and hunched her shoulders, but Ripley saw her just barely wince at the motion.

"Let's see it," she said, reaching out to her.

"Don't touch me," Call said, recoiling.

"Oh, stop it," Ripley said sternly, and Call relented this time as she inspected the wound. It was large to be sure, and a few miscellaneous composite materials hung free from the gaping hole. As they continued to walk down the halls, Ripley did her best to clean the wound, removing as much stray material as possible so that there were no lose pieces remaining. Call looked at her curiously as she worked.

"How can you keep on living, knowing what you are?" she asked suddenly. Ripley looked up at her, not knowing if Call was referring to her status as a clone of the original Ripley or the fact that she shared DNA with killer space aliens. Deciding that it was probably a little bit of both, Ripley gave a small smile.

"Don't really have much of a choice, do I?" she asked.

"Yes, you do," Call replied, and Ripley smirked at the implication despite its morbidity.

"I gave the whole dying thing a try about 200 years ago," she said. "Lot of good that did me, huh?"

To her satisfaction, Call actually let out a small laugh, and Ripley laughed along with her. It felt good. Call's face then dropped once more.

"At least part of you is human. I'm just… well look at me. I'm disgusting."

Ripley placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.

"I don't know if you've noticed, kiddo, but non-humans are kind of winning the day right now."

Ripley gestured towards the Doom Slayer and by extension VEGA. Call followed the gesture, then sighed.

"That's just one example…"

"Could be two," Ripley said with a shrug. "In fact, I'm betting its two because I seriously doubt that someone with a name like 'The Doom Slayer' could be a human."

Call smiled again and lifted her chin up, her posture displaying a bit more confidence at Ripley's words. Then it was gone again, but this time, it was replaced with a look of terror. Ripley frowned and followed her gaze.

They had reached the hangar at last, VEGA's manipulation of the mainframe allowing them to make excellent time through the halls. Ahead loomed the _Betty_ , her lights on and her engines already ignited thanks to VEGA. There existed only one problem, however. Between their small group and the ship, half a dozen full-grown Xenomorphs appeared, their blackened skin and feral postures giving them an extremely intimidating look as they turned and noticed the group approaching.

Seeing that the pack had picked them out, the group came to a stop, not wanting to get any closer than what was necessary to the nightmarish creatures. Ripley frowned at seeing them all here. How could they have possibly known how to find the group? With a start, she realized that her neural connection to the queen must have been a two-way street, the mother of the Xenomorphs having been in her head and deducing their plans.

 _Shit_.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ripley saw the Doom Slayer remove Vreiss from his back and set him down against the wall. With an audible crunching of metal and composite, the Doom Slayer produced his shotgun once more and pumped a round into the chamber.

"The Xenomorphs have highly acidic blood," came VEGA's voice. "I suggest that we utilize a weapon that will minimize blood splatter in this scenario."

Ripley barely noticed, but the Doom Slayer almost seemed dejected at VEGA's words. Putting his shotgun away, Ripley saw him exchange it for another weapon that she didn't recognize. The weapon was not much larger than a shotgun, but it was almost futuristic in design, giving a clean and bright look that contrasted the Slayer's dark green armor. The Doom Slayer never took his gaze from the Xenomorphs as they hissed at the approaching group, but he gestured over his shoulder to Distephano and Johner before making a shooting gesture.

"We'll cover your back, big guy," Distephano replied confidently as he swung his weapon from his shoulder and leveled it towards the aliens. Johner grunted in agreement.

Without any further warning, the Doom Slayer charged into the hanger, startling the members of the group as well as the Xenomorphs present in the chamber.

Crossing the distance at a speed that shouldn't have been possible, Ripley's eyes widened as the Doom Slayer lowered his shoulder and barreled through the closest two aliens. The creatures screeched in agony and were sent airborne by the force of his strike, but the Doom Slayer was unfazed. The two aliens he hit landed on the ground with a sickening crunch, the force of the Doom Slayer's impact shattering most of their bones. Though they were still alive, the Doom Slayer had already turned his attention from them, raising his strange-looking rifle and opening fire on the third Xenomorph.

A stream of what looked like plasma rounds burst from the rifle, and the targeted Xenomorph screamed as the rounds burned through its skin like lava, immediately cauterizing every hole that they made. Under the Slayer's continued fire, the Xenomorph pitched sideways and died as its wounds became too great. The sudden death of their comrade seemed to spur the other Xenomorphs into action, and they all roared and lunged for their humanoid opponent.

As the first one reached out with its long claws, the Slayer put away his plasma rifle and intercepted the creature, smashing both of his fists on either side of the Xenomorph's head. The weight behind his blows caused the creature's skull to crumple, and grey matter and blood squirted from the top of the Xenomorph's head as its skull caved in. The creature died before it even hit the ground.

As the Slayer rounded on the two standing Xenomorphs left, a barrage of shots rang out and tore through the aliens, both Distephano and Johner firing their weapons at their designated targets. The Xenomorphs screeched in agony, but a few well-placed headshots dropped them shortly after.

After sparing an appreciative glance in their direction, the Slayer returned to the two Xenomorphs he had hit with his shoulder. The aliens screeched in agony and tried to swipe at him, but their broken bodies refused to comply, leaving them writhing on the ground as they struggled to right themselves.

Without hesitation, the Doom Slayer brought his boot down hard onto the first Xenomorph's neck, and with a loud pop, the alien's head detached from its body, rolling across the floor of the hangar to rest against the wall. The creature's headless body fell still.

The remaining Xenomorph gave an enraged screech in the Slayer's direction, but the extra noise did little to intimidate the armored man, and with a sickening rip, the Slayer had torn the tip of the alien's tail off. The alien cried out in pain, but its suffering was quickly cut short as the Slayer took the sharpened tip of the tail and drove it deep into the creature's skull, causing it to go limp immediately.

The group gaped at him as he scanned for more opponents but found none. With a start, Ripley realized that the Slayer had killed six Xenomorphs in less than a minute, with half of them killed with just his bare hands.

"Jesus Christ," mumbled Johner as the Slayer beckoned them over, the abrasive man finally at a loss for words. Ripley tried to savor the experience as much as she could.

"Now where the hell do I learn to do something like that?" Distephano said as the group converged on the Doom Slayer. As they all gathered around him, Ripley noted with a chuckle that she and the Doom Slayer stood at roughly the same height, but when he was in battle, the Slayer almost appeared to be larger than life, his overwhelming strength and agility giving him an intimidating aura for all that witnessed it.

"The _Betty_ is fueled and ready for immediate extraction," came VEGA's voice. "I suggest everyone depart as quickly as possible. The Doom Slayer and I will cover your escape."

"W—wait a minute!" Purvis said. "What about you? What are you going to do once you've cleared out the Xenomorphs?"

"Once the infestation is cleared, the Doom Slayer and I will make a jump to the next dimension. Our destination will again be at random, but we must continue to do so if we can hope to return to our original dimension."

"So, this is goodbye then?" Call said, her voice betraying a regretful tone.

"Well, well! Aren't you just a fuckin' softie!" Johner laughed, slapping Call on the back.

"To answer your question, Annalee Call: Yes, I believe this is goodbye," VEGA said.

Everyone shared a brief moment of silence, then Distephano stepped forward and offered his hand to the Doom Slayer, who grasped it in an armored gauntlet and shook firmly.

"You saved our bacon even though you never met us before," he said with a nod. "That means something to me. Thank you."

He then turned and boarded the Betty, and everyone took their turn saying goodbye to VEGA and the Doom Slayer, Johner and Vreiss cracking jokes about his strength while Purvis and Call gave an apprehensive thanks before hastily climbing aboard.

Ripley was the last one, and as the Slayer turned toward her expectantly, she shook her head and gave him a smile.

"I've been through a lot recently, but you already know that. You read my file after all."

Neither the Slayer nor VEGA said anything, giving Ripley a chance to continue.

"That being said, I'm glad you boys showed up to lend a hand. Without your timely arrival, who knows what could have happened to us."

Her tone then took a more serious route, and she looked directly into the Doom Slayer's visor as she continued.

"These creatures, I've dealt with them before. My memory is still fuzzy in some parts, but I remember eventually dying thanks to them. So, I guess the biggest thing I can say is: Be careful. I can still feel my connection to their queen, and while I don't know exactly what she's up to, I can tell she's getting ready for something, almost in anticipation. But she's…she's also in pain."

Her gaze went vacant for a moment as she homed in on the queen, but she caught herself and refocused, the Doom Slayer giving her a nod as she finished.

"Thank you for your warning, Ellen Ripley," VEGA said through the armor. "I have detected an enigmatic signature nearby, and I believe it is safe to assume that it is the queen. We will approach with caution once you all get clear."

Ripley gave a smile in thanks, then she shook hands with the Doom Slayer before she climbed on board the Betty. With a final nod, the hatch closed behind her, and she watched from a nearby viewing port as Vreiss began the ignition sequence. As the Betty left the hangar, Ripley watched the Auriga grow smaller, and in turn, her connection to the queen began to weaken as well. Soon, it became so small that she barely even noticed it, leaving only her own thoughts in her head for the first time.

…

VEGA multitasked as the Slayer jogged through the abandoned halls of the Auriga. A myriad of blueprints, experiment logs, and anatomic data passed through his gaze simultaneously, the A.I. taking full advantage of the new information offered to him by this universe. The experimental logs on the Xenomorphs, while being highly unethical, were fascinating to VEGA, as the A.I. experienced an emotion similar to excitement at delving into the new data. His experiences with Ellen Ripley had also offered him insight to the deadly creatures, as the United Systems Military had also experimented on her as well. She had been the eighth attempt at the cloning process, with six of the other seven dying during their genesis. The remaining one was listed as still alive in the records, but VEGA detected no heat signatures apart from the remaining Xenomorphs on board the ship. That number was decreasing fast, however, as the Doom Slayer hunted them down with great prejudice. In addition to the Xenomorphs, VEGA also noted that many 'Face Hugger' eggs, as they had been named by the USM, were still alive throughout the ship. Those were disposed of just as easily.

Before long, only two heat signatures remained, their presence drawing the Doom Slayer into the very deepest part of the ship as he angrily ripped a Xenomorph's jawed tongue from its mouth. VEGA expected the Xenomorph queen to be waiting for them as they continued. As the Doom Slayer approached their final destination, VEGA noted that while one of the two remaining life forces appeared to be growing stronger, the other was growing weaker. In fact, the two signatures were almost linked to each other, and while VEGA formed hundreds of theories on the subject, once stood out above the rest. All he required now was visual confirmation.

The Doom Slayer rounded another corner, and VEGA finally laid 'eyes' on the Xenomorph queen. This Xenomorph was much larger than others and possessed a much larger head that spanned outward into flat edges. Immediately, VEGA noted that the queen was immobile, and that a large flesh capsule of sorts bulged from her lower body. Seeing the sack firsthand, VEGA confirmed his theory: This Xenomorph queen had been birthed using the DNA of Ellen Ripley, and just as Ripley herself possessed Xenomorph traits, the reverse was true as well. This alien had evolved to accommodate a human-like reproductive in addition to laying the numerous eggs that the Slayer had been destroying. The creature inside the flesh sack was a result of the additional reproduction process and had been the secondary life force that VEGA had been monitoring.

The queen had not noticed the Slayer has he stepped into the large chamber, as at that moment the flesh sac connected to her began to pulse and move about wildly, the creature inside beginning the process of birth.

The queen roared in pain as the birthing process continued, the flesh sac bulging out further and further until it finally ruptured. Another roar sounded, mixing with the queen's roars of agonized birthing, and before the Doom Slayer emerged a Xenomorph that was vastly different than the ones that they'd encountered so far.

VEGA immediately analyzed the new creature, its stark white skin in definite contrast to the common darker hue of standard Xenomorphs. It's bone structure and physical features varied greatly as well, VEGA noticing that the creature's anatomy was a mixture of Xenomorph and human commonalities. Lastly, VEGA analyzed the roar that the creature sounded as it emerged from the 'womb' of the queen. Its vocal patterns were mostly Xenomorph, but as VEGA quickly realized, the frequency of its voice possessed a greater variety. A variety matched only by the vocal cords found in a human. With all of this information, VEGA's theory was even further solidified. This new creature was an exact hybrid of human and Xenomorph DNA, both genomes combining to create an entirely new species.

The creature turned at the trumpeting of its mother's call, the queen's screeches of agony taking on a higher pitch associated with connection and familiarity. VEGA anticipated such a reaction, as one of the gene sets that Ripley had passed on to the Xenomorph queen had been that of maternal instincts. The queen no doubt felt a deep bond with her newborn, and the hybrid leaned in closely as its mother inspected it. The two shared a moment of familiarity, once again matching VEGA's prediction. Now came the ambiguous part. The new hybrid Xenomorph possessed the imprinting genes of the aliens, which caused certain animals to immediately identify and accept their maternal figures, but it also possessed the genes associated with mammals in which a familiarization period would be necessary before it accepted its parent. The question that remained was which would prevail.

With a trumpeting cry, the newborn attacked its mother, tearing at her flesh with incredibly sharp claws and strength that combined humanity and Xenomorphs. Green blood spurted from the mother's wounds, and her cries of agony began anew as her child rejected her violently. Slowly her life force died, leaving only the hybrid behind. It was then that it noticed the Doom Slayer for the first time.

In his programming, VEGA registered a very human-like relaxation in the hybrid's posture as it examined the armored figure. The creature felt an innate sense of familiarity with the Doom Slayer, and VEGA now knew exactly why. The creature _had_ retained the Xenomorph behavior of imprinting, but upon mixing the human and alien DNA, it had given the creature a warped instinct. Instead of imprinting on the physical features of a Xenomorph, it imprinted on the stature of a human, which in turn made it instantly recognize the Doom Slayer as a possible candidate for its mother. The Doom Slayer seemed almost as intrigued as VEGA was, and he held his shotgun in a relaxed manner as the hybrid came closer, its breathing slow and controlled.

For a moment, VEGA entertained the possibility that a full imprinting had occurred, but as the massive hybrid drew close enough to make out distinct features on the Slayer's armor, its expression suddenly hardened again. With an enraged roar, the newborn immediately adopted a hostile approach to the Slayer, and VEGA remembered that a full imprinting could only occur if the individual possessed the common traits of the female of the species. As the Slayer had none, the hybrid had failed to fully imprint, and now it lunged for the Slayer with the same ill intent that it had previously shown its mother.

In a flash, the shotgun was up, and there existed hardly a fraction of a second before the weapon kicked in the Slayer's hands. The hybrid's skull exploded from the blast, and its body tumbled to the floor a moment later, its life ending just as quickly as it had begun. With the last life force extinguished, the Auriga fell silent. The dead air lingering throughout the corridors.

For a moment, silence reigned, then VEGA spoke directly to the Doom Slayer through the Praetor Suit.

"The ship is set to dock on Earth in less than an hour. Given the nature of these experiments and how they began, it is my recommendation that we destroy the Auriga before it returns home. It would be wise to erase all evidence of the project so that it cannot be repeated.

The Doom Slayer did not respond, but VEGA knew him well enough to see that he agreed. All that was left was to somehow start a chain reaction that would be enough to destroy the entire ship. Of all the weapons the Doom Slayer possessed, only one of them was capable of delivering the firepower they needed to start that chain reaction.

The Doom Slayer pulled out the BFG and made his way to the ship's core. No one witnessed the events that followed, but if they had, they'd describe a bright flash of green light erupting from the center of the ship, followed by a series of explosions that tore the vessel to pieces. After the smoke and fire faded away, one might have been able to catch a glimpse of a much smaller flash of blue light before all fell still once again.

 _ **A/N: And scene! As many of you have probably guessed, this chapter shows an alternate sequence of events of the film Alien: Resurrection. The decision to throw the Slayer into the events of this film stemmed from my desire to have him meet Ripley as well as have a formidable amount of Xenomorphs to kill. With that in mind, the first and third alien movies were out due to the limited amount of the creatures (although it would have been fun to see the Slayer waltz into the prison facility from the third movie and kill the alien straightup, wouldn't it? Cut the runtime of the movie down to 25 minutes...), so that left the second and fourth movies, which was a tough decision for me. Eventually I decided on this one, and this chapter was written. As always be sure to tell me what you though of my chapter by dropping a review, as I'm always looking to improve my writing. See you guys next time!**_

 _ **-ImpulsiveWeaver**_


	25. Edge of Tomorrow

Chapter 22

 ** _A/N: Heyo! I'm back with a new chapter! For this one, the Doom Slayer has arrived at the Edge of Tomorrow, and you wouldn't want to see him when he's pushed to the edge...haha...get it? Anyway, please enjoy! Remember that I own nothing!_**

 ** _..._**

William Cage leapt over a sand dune at a speed that was impossible for any human to achieve, his Jacket enhancing his physicality to superhuman levels. The powered exoskeleton provided much more than additional protection in combat, and for that, Cage was extremely thankful. Any human that thought it could take on a Mimic without a Jacket was kidding themselves.

Ahead, Cage saw a wild disturbance in the sand, something getting ready to burst from beneath the surface.

 _Speaking of Mimics…_

With an otherworldly shriek, the alien broke through the surface, already moving at speeds nearly too quick to follow. Fortunately for Cage, he had spent countless days-or rather, the amount of time equivalent to that-training to fight against them. He also had the luxury of surprise, as the Mimic had not known that he was there. In contrast, Cage had memorized that Mimic's location almost a lifetime ago.

Using the superior athleticism awarded by his Jacket once more, Cage jumped high into the air, using the momentum awarded to him upon landing to crush the creature with his armored fist. The Mimic died immediately, its corpse shriveling up and hardening in an almost concreate-like nature. Its tentacles all shivered wildly and pointed to the dark grey sky as it died, a sight not dissimilar to most insects when they were found dead on the windowsill.

Despite the relative expediency of the kill, Cage took no time to revel in his achievement. Knowing his luck, he'd have to kill that exact same Mimic indefinitely, or at least until he completed his mission. Right now, that mission was to get the hell off this godforsaken beach.

Turning his head, Cage saw Rita Vrataski, the "Angel of Verdun", set upon another Mimic with similar success, swinging her short sword expertly to fend off any piercing attacks the Mimic threw at her. The creature's movement seemed unpredictable to the naked eye, but to one who had witnessed them in action countless times, there were subtle 'tells' that gave away a Mimic's next move before they made it, similar to how a boxer could see a quick jab coming before their opponent even began the motion. Ducking under one of the creature's thrusting tentacles, Rita swung her sword in a wide arc, cleaving the Mimic in two. The weapon itself was overtly large and was much heavier than any standard sword. It had been made from an aircraft wing, though Cage had not bothered to ask the details of its creation to her. It should have been unwieldy given its size and weight, but Rita wielded it with no trouble, a perk awarded to her by the Jacket that she was also adorned in.

All around them, humans fought and died wearing the exact same suits, not having the countless hours of training and experience that Cage and Rita did. Cage pushed them from his mind, knowing that they would continue to live and die over and over again just as he did, his curse making sure of that every time. How many times had he reset now? Hundreds? _Thousands_ , maybe?

Cage turned away from his thoughts and waited a beat, remembering that the next Mimic always had a delayed entry by a few seconds. Rita turned as well and engaged another hostile, keeping to the choreography that the two of them had practiced over and over the day before. Cage paused for a moment more, then raised his right arm, aiming the mounted assault rifle at a spot in the sand as it began to move. Squeezing the trigger, the rifle kicked and spewed a barrage of bullets into the sand, the Mimic yowling in surprise as it began to take damage before completely surfacing. The wounded alien desperately attempting to claw its way out, but Cage kept the weapon trained on it, continuing to pump rounds into the writhing creature. After a few prolonged seconds, the Mimic died, as Cage had already seen it do a million times. Whirling around once more, Cage burst into a sprint and tackled another Mimic as it made for an unaware soldier in a Jacket.

Driving with the weight of the suit, Cage landed hard on top of the creature and pounded on it with his armored fists, silencing its piercing shrills. In a flash, Rita was at his side, her breathing labored as her body struggled to keep up with the exertion of battle. Cage understood; he was breathing hard too. The Jacket was perfect for enhancing the user's strength, but it still required effort to operate. Unfortunately for Cage, he was not able to build up stamina over the course of his resets, giving him the exact same poor physicality he'd possessed as an officer each time he went into battle.

"What's next?" Rita asked through labored gasps, her eyes darting urgently over to him. Cage took a moment to catch his breath, then gestured tiredly to the ground as it rose upward in an incline before them, remembering what came next in the repeated sequence of this battle.

"There's a Mimic buried up the hill," he said. "But it doesn't surface until we get close. You flank left, while I draw its fire with…"

Cage abruptly cut off, frowning as he saw something appear in the sky. It was a massive fireball, and it was heading straight for the hill in front of them.

"Cage?" Rita asked, shaking his shoulder as the sounds of war continued around them. "What is it?"

Cage stared, his eyes fixated on the fireball as it came closer.

"That…that shouldn't be there…"

Rita frowned and followed his gaze, her eyes squinting in confusion as the fireball seemed to be increasing its speed. In front of them on the hill, the sand began to shift, the Mimic finally making its appearance with a bloodthirsty shriek.

As it broke through, the fireball crashed directly into it, lifting both Cage and Rita off their feet as sand exploded from the impact point. Cage shielded his eyes with his arm as sand rained down around him, and he stared incredulously at the crash site when his vision cleared.

The hill had been completely leveled, the force of the meteor blasting away anything nearby and now rendering it into a massive crater. Looking down into the crevice, Cage frowned as a figure wreathed in smoke stood up, its silhouette bulky and jagged, but unmistakably human-like.

"I don't understand…" Cage mumbled to himself as the smoke cleared. "This hasn't happened before…"

The smoke dissipated, and Cage's confusion worsened as he made out details of the figure for the first time. Its humanoid stature was covered completely by a suit of dark green armor, and though it looked manmade, it did not match any combat gear that Cage recognized. The figure was appeared unarmed, and it looked about its surroundings with an air of slight disorientation.

"Cage!" Rita yelled, looking down into the crater beside him. "What is that? Why didn't you tell me about this?!"

"It's never happened before," Cage said, shaking his head in disbelief. He had repeated this sequence hundreds of times, and never before had this happened. The humanoid had never appeared to him before, not even in his visions.

Cage heard a commotion from the far edge of the crater, and he saw a large pack of Mimics gathering at the edge. The figure heard them as well and turned its visor in their direction. With an enraged shriek, the Mimics charged down into the crater with murderous intent, the figure being their only target.

Abruptly, the figure was in motion, producing a weapon that Cage did not recognize and dashing to meet its numerous foes. Glancing closer at the weapon, Cage saw that it vaguely resembled an assault rifle of some kind, the main difference being that there appeared to be a chainsaw in place of a standard bayonet. Cage saw Rita frown out of the corner of his eye.

The figure raised the weapon to its shoulder and fired as it ran, gaining speed even faster than one could in a Jacket. Was its strange suit some sort of variant that had just been released? Cage didn't see any similarities between the armor the figure wore and the standard issue Jackets adorned by Rita and himself.

Turning his attention back to the weapon the stranger carried, Cage saw that it was obviously of a high caliber, as entire chunks of Mimics came off when the figure fired upon them. The aliens in the front of the charge received the worst of it, stumbling and dying quickly. The others behind paid them no attention and trampled over their bodies in an effort to tear at the figure.

Shifting the weight of the weapon, the figure wrenched at a lever Cage couldn't see, and the chainsaw bayonet roared to life. As the first Mimics reached the figure, it swung the weapon and powerfully cleaved two of them apart. They both died immediately, and the figure drove forward again with the weapon, setting upon the other creatures with a vigor that quickly evolved into fury. And yet, as Cage looked on dumfounded, it seemed like the figure was tearing through the Mimic horde with barely any effort. One Mimic made it past the chainsaw bayonet's range, and as it thrusted outward with one of its tentacles, the figure instantly intercepted the piercing stab with a hand, grabbing the limb firmly and wrenching the Mimic towards him. The alien was obviously not strong enough to struggle, and it yowled as the figure pulled it from the ground and swung it like a large sack of nickels. The other Mimics clamored in response, and the figure swung their airborne comrade into them with enough force to knock them away while crushing several others.

The chainsaw instantaneously came back up as the figure let go of the Mimic, and the remaining creatures where quickly shredded into halves or thirds, the figure finishing off any that refused to die with an armored boot to their skulls. After a quick scan of the area, the figure turned and noticed Cage and Rita for the first time, the two of them crouching on the other edge of the crater and looking in. The figure then completely turned towards them and began walking in their direction, focusing its gaze on Cage with an intensity that made him uncomfortable.

"Wha-?"

Cage's question died in his throat as a Mimic ordinance arced through the air and pierced his neck, killing him instantly.

…

Cage startled awake, his hands once again in the cuffs that were a constant reminderof his reset. After the first ten times, he had gotten used to them being there when he woke up, but he didn't think he'd ever learn to enjoy them.

Sitting up, Cage's thoughts returned to what had happened before he reset. Just where had that figure come from? He had reset so many times, and never before had he encountered it. Was it a mimic? No, it had killed the Mimics…

Sitting up, Cage absently gazed out across the mass of soldiers that would die tomorrow again. The familiarity of the former Heathrow Airport comforting him, as his mind was still muddled by thoughts of that strange figure…

It was staring at him.

Cage's eyes snapped open at the sight, his body involuntarily flinching backward at the sight of the figure standing a few feet away. Its armor was clean, any trace of Mimic gone from its dark green surface. The chainsaw gun was gone too. Cage shook his head in disbelief. That thing had followed him through the reset somehow…

His mind racing, Cage was on his feet in a second, rushing toward the figure.

"Listen to me!" he said imploringly. He was only a bit shorter than the figure, and the visor tilted down to look at him as he came close. "I don't know who or what you are, but you can help me!"

The figure said nothing, still fixing its gaze intently on Cage.

"Find Rita Vrataski!" he Cage said. "Tell her about what just happened, how we've just reset! I'll meet you later, you can help me…!"

"Fall in line before I bust your hole with my boot heel, maggot!"

Cage hustled to comply with the Sergeant's command, already in a hurry to get these first parts over with. He spared a final glance at the figure, then turned to meet Master Sergeant Farell as he approached.

…

The attitude in the rifle range was a somber one. Everyone present knew that the war against the Mimics was not going well. If one was to look to their left and their right, they would see the faces of men and women that would likely not be alive in twenty-four hours, themselves included.

The attitude suddenly shifted however as an unknown figure stomped onto the range, its visor looking at each person in turn before moving on. The figure was armored, but in a strange suit that looked nothing like the Jackets that most others on deck wore. A couple arrogant souls frowned and taunted the figure as it scanned over them, but it paid them no mind, seemingly on a mission to find someone specific.

Moving quickly, the figure gazed downrange, seemingly noticing the metallic arms extending down from the ceiling. The arms were programmed to emulate the movement patterns of Mimics, and a claw-like attachment at their ends spun freely in a Mimic-like fashion to add a visual aspect. For most soldiers, target practice involved standing behind the firing line with their Jacket and learning to predict the moves, but as the figure searched on, one woman was found downrange, seemingly meditating as the false Mimics darted back and forth around her.

Without hesitation, the armored suit stepped over the firing line, confused and awed bystanders gathering behind and watching on as the figure seemed to demonstrate no regard for its personal safety. The Mimic arms were still moving, some at speeds that would kill a man if he were to be in the way, but the figure seemingly paid them no mind, instead making straight for the woman, who opened her eyes at the figure's approach.

There was a shout of warning from a few of the bystanders as a false Mimic surged across the range directly towards the figure, its claws extended in a way that could shatter bone if it made contact. Without turning its helmeted head, the figure swung its arm and backhanded the approaching arm with a closed fist. The blow had seemed almost nonchalant to the figure, but it was enough to tear the claw from the arm itself, the metal screeching as it yielded to the stranger's will. Bystanders scattered as the claw landed behind the firing line, but the figure continued its march forward, only stopping when it stood in front of the woman, who stared back in disbelief.

"Hello, Sergeant Vrataski," came a voice from a speaker on the figure's helmet. "We have much to discuss."

…

Cage jogged into the meeting room, feeling slightly off his game. Rita hadn't been at the rifle range this reset, which meant that the figure had gotten to her before he did. He had needed to backtrack and get to the meeting room in time.

Inside stood Doctor Carter as well as Rita and the strange figure, and they all turned to him as he came in.

"You were at the beach, tomorrow!" Cage said windily, pointing to the stranger. "You're never on the beach! How did you do that? Where did you come from?"

"Nice to meet you too, Cage," Rita said sarcastically. Cage shot her a glance, then turned back to the figure.

"William Cage," came a voice from the helmet. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am VEGA, the Artificial Intelligence unit that is attached to this armor. The being inside the armor is the Doom Slayer."

Cage frowned as the A.I. explained that both it and the Doom Slayer had arrived in their timeline through a warping mechanism located in the stranger's suit. At first, Cage had been hesitant to believe such a wild story, but he then realized that he was really in no position to judge given that his own story involved the day resetting every time he died.

"Wait a minute," Cage said as VEGA finished speaking. "You're telling me that you came here from another dimension? Then why did you fall out of the sky like a giant meteor or something?"

"When we arrived," VEGA replied. "Our entrance point was approximately two hundred and fifty miles above Earth's surface. At the moment, we are currently unable to control our orientation when we arrive in a new universe, though we have been quite fortunate in the past to arrive on solid ground."

"So, you're saying that your destination is random every time you use your 'tether' thing?"

"That is correct."

Cage paused for a moment, absorbing all of this information. It was then that Doctor Carter spoke up, animatedly using his hands for emphasis.

"Hold on a moment! VEGA, Cage said that you arrived on the beach _tomorrow_. How is it possible that you jumped back through time with him? Your Doom Slayer friend doesn't have the same power that Cage does, and only the user's mind can jump through, so how did his armor and equipment all make it back to today as well?"

VEGA's voice was calm and showed not even a hint of annoyance as he responded.

"Though the UAC never achieved time travel, a common theory in chronology concerns a term called a 'temporal constant'. These constants dictate the flow of time in each dimension, and there exists at least one in each universe."

No one said anything as VEGA continued.

"From your files on these 'Mimic' creatures, I have deduced that the Omega you are searching for is a time constant, capable of altering the flow of time. However, when William Cage killed an Alpha, he absorbed the time constant into himself, granting him the abilities he now possesses."

"That still doesn't answer my question…" Doctor Carter mumbled.

"I will not go into the details, but I have theorized that when we came to this dimension, we began to exist in its time stream. However, when William Cage reset the day, there was nowhere for it to reset us, as we were not within this dimension a day ago. With nowhen to return to, the Doom Slayer was at risk of causing damage to the timeline as it tried to reset. As a solution we became anchored to the nearest temporal constant: William Cage."

Cage felt his brain frying behind his eyes, and a quick glance over to Rita showed a similar reaction. Even Doctor Carter appeared slightly miffed.

"If I were to give an example, I would tell you to imagine that everything in this universe has its own 'clock'," VEGA said. "A temporal constant is a clock that can control every clock but its own. So, if the temporal constant sends out a signal to all other clocks to turn back one day prior, all the clocks regress by twenty-four hours except for the temporal constant, allowing it to exist in a universe that is twenty-four hours behind it. This the phenomenon that occurs when you 'die', William Cage."

Cage nodded slowly, trying to wrap his head around the theory.

"When the Doom Slayer and I arrived in this dimension, our own clock synchronized with all the others, but when a signal was sent out to regress twenty-four hours, our clock was unable to do so, as it didn't exist in this universe twenty-four hours ago. Therefore, our clock continued ticking, synchronizing itself with the time constant. We are now unable to 'reset' with the rest of the universe. Instead, we will continue ticking forward in the same you do, William Cage."

There was a beat of silence.

"So, you'll follow me every time I reset?" Cage asked.

"That is correct."

Cage's eyes darted to Doctor Carter, who shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose it _is_ possible…" he mumbled.

"I would like to discuss these visions of yours, William Cage," VEGA said, already changing the subject. "It is my understanding that your mission is to destroy this 'Omega' creature, which is responsible for the Mimic invasion as well as your ability to reset the day. As you are connected with the Omega and have been seeing visions of its possible location, the Doom Slayer and I will endeavor to the location and destroy it. Your only objective will to remain alive long enough to give us time. If you die before we reach it, then the Doom Slayer and I will need to start again."

Cage's mind raced. Instead of attacking, all he needed to do was hold out long enough for the Doom Slayer to kill the Omega? That sounded so much easier to do, and Cage found himself nodding in response.

"We know where it is. Curnera Dam, located in Switzerland."

"Very well," VEGA said. "We will depart immediately. If we encounter no resistance, we can expect to arrive in approximately thirteen hours. However, as the Mimic horde will likely attempt to slow our assault, I expect that time to double."

"Twenty-six hours is cutting it close," Cage said. "London is overrun with Mimics in twenty-five. The invasion inevitably fails in twenty-three. You have to be quick."

The Doom Slayer looked over at Cage, who looked back and saw the man behind the helmet nod steadfastly. He understood how close they were for time.

"I'll go with you, Cage," Rita said with a nod. "With my help, hopefully you can stay alive a little longer."

Cage looked over at her, wishing that he could take comfort in her words. He tried to will away the countless memories he had of watching her die as they surfaced, but he had seen it happen too many times in too many different ways to forget something so easily. How many more times could he bear it? How many more before he lost his mind?

…

Cage grunted and swung his Jacketed fist into the skull of a Mimic, silencing its alien screeching. To his left, Rita fended off another with her sword, keeping the creatures at bay with the reach afforded to her by the blade.

Looking around, Cage gave an annoyed grunt at the sight of _hundreds_ of Mimics closing in on them. They had taken refuge in London in an effort to buy more time for the Slayer, but the morning had passed with nothing happening, and the Mimics were now upon them in full force. There had been so many, and with the invasion force already decimated, Cage and Rita were fighting against the entire Mimic army.

 _Damn it, Slayer, where the hell are you?_

Cage slammed another magazine into his rifle and opened fire on the horde, but his bullets may as well have been made of paper for all the difference the made.

"Cage!" he heard Rita call from his left. "You have to run! You have to buy more ti—"

Her call was cut short as a Mimic bolt blasted through her chest, and before Cage could cry out to her, another one pierced his cranium.

With a start, Cage jolted awake, his cry finally coming through his lips as he bounced up from his prone position on the ground. Suddenly, strong and incredibly annoyed hands grabbed him by his collar and hauled him to his feet. The Doom Slayer's armor appeared in his vision, and before Cage could say anything, the Slayer dragged him away before the sergeant even had the chance to berate him.

…

What do you _mean_ it isn't there?!" Doctor Carter asked impatiently as they all stood in the meeting room. Their meeting time had been far earlier than usual, as the Doom Slayer had irritably hauled everyone into the room as soon as the reset happened. Now he stood with his fists clenched at his sides, obviously fuming.

"We arrived at the dam with ample time before the invasion began," VEGA said. "But there were no readings to indicate that the Omega was present. We scanned the interior, but there was a Mimic ambush waiting for us. An Alpha was present. We made certain not to kill the Alpha, but the Mimics knew we were coming. It is my belief that they were expecting William Cage to arrive so that they could ambush him and reclaim his power, but we arrived instead."

"So, that's it then…" Doctor Carter said, gesturing to Cage. "They know who you are now, and they're trying to get their power back, and we have no way of finding out where the Omega is."

"That's not true," Rita said, gesturing to an object on the table. Cage frowned and leaned forward to get a closer look, noticing that the object was of complex metal design with numerous smaller pieces that served some sort of purpose.

"No," Doctor Carter said with a sigh. "That device doesn't work. I can't get it to work, no matter how hard I try."

"You built a prototype at Whitehall," Rita said.

"Yes, I did," Doctor Carter said with another sigh. "And it got me fired, thank you very much!"

Walking forward, Cage curiously hefted the item in his hand.

"What is it?"

"It's a transponder. You stick it into an Alpha and it taps into the signal connecting it to the Omega. Or at least, that's the idea anyway. But I can't get it to work! Not with the equipment I have here!"

"Doctor Carter," VEGA chimed in. "What do you need to complete it?"

"Well, that's the thing. I was able to build a functioning one at Whitehall, and I was even ready to test it, but when I told my superiors about it, I lost my job. They thought I was insane!"

Cage shared a glance with Rita, then looked over to the Doom Slayer, who seemed to pick up on his thought process.

"So, all we need to do is go to Whitehall, then?"

"You'd be arrested as soon as you got within a hundred feet!" Doctor Carter exclaimed. "You'd need a small army to get inside!"

…

General Brigham looked over preparation reports behind his desk, double checking that everything was in order for the invasion tomorrow. So far, everything looked to be in place and ready. If they could hit the Mimic force quick and hard, then they just might have a chance at breaking through their lines and retaking Europe.

A commotion suddenly came from outside, and Brigham looked up inquisitively at the noise. A muffled yell reached his ears, and the general barely had any time to set his papers back on the desk before the double doors to his office burst inward with a loud crack. The wood splintered and fell, and Brigham's eyes shot open wide as a figure in dark green armor stepped through, Major William Cage and Sergeant Rita Vrataski flanking it on either side.

General Brigham stared at them both incredulously before gazing at the scene in the room beyond his office. Guards and MPs lay unconscious on the ground, with furniture overturned every which way and papers strewn everywhere. His eyes turned back to the armored figure just before it pushed him down into his desk chair. To its left, Sergeant Vrataski leveled a pistol to Brigham's head.

"Sit down, General," she said forcefully, even though Brigham had just been forced back into his seat. The general eyed the three of them, then decided to focus on Cage, who stepped forward and took a seat on the edge of his desk.

"I have to hand it to you, Major. When you left my office no less than twelve hours ago, I'd have never expected that you'd be back…"

Brigham's eyes flickered towards Sergeant Vrataski.

"…let alone with my most decorated soldier, and…?"

Brigham frowned in the direction of the armored figure.

"I'm afraid that introductions will have to wait, General Brigham," came a calm and reserved voice from the figure. "Right now, we need you to tell us what you have done with the Mimic transponder that Doctor Carter created. It is the same device that cost him is position on the UDF's Mimic Research Division.

Unconsciously, Brigham's eyes flitted to his personal safe on the wall. He stopped himself before he completely gave it away, but despite his best efforts, his eyes still moved a millimeter in the safe's direction.

The figure picked up on the gesture as though Brigham had pointed to the damn thing, and in an instant, the suit of armor crossed the room and ripped open the reinforced door to the safe. There was a brief pause, then the figure reached in and pulled out the transponder. Looking over and frowning once more, Brigham was finding himself more and more perplexed by this figure. Certainly, it was wearing some form of Jacket?

"Let me ask you Major," Brigham said, looking back towards Cage. "You obviously desire that thing enough that you're willing to break in here and assault my staff, but what good does that device do you? Doctor Carter informed me that it requires a live Mimic to work. Is there something you're not telling me?"

As Brigham spoke, the figure crossed the room again and activated a lever on the side of the device, causing multiple syringes nearly as long as a toothpick to extend from the front of it. Without a word, the figure jammed the syringes deep into Cage's leg, and the Major barely had time to cry out in pain before his eyes suddenly became an inky black. His cry died in his throat, and his vison suddenly became more focused, as though he was seeing something in the void that the rest of them could not. Brigham shot Sergeant Vrataski an inquisitive glance, but she had turned her attention from him and was now eying Cage with increasing curiosity.

"Major?" Brigham ventured.

"I…I see it," Cage whispered. "It's in the Louvre. Paris…"

Brigham's frown deepened. He was not following the man's words at all.

"It's under the museum!" Cage said as the figure removed the device from his leg. "It's in the Louvre, under the museum!"

"I am thankful to hear it," came the voice once more from the suit of armor. "We will make for it immediately after this reset."

"Wait, _after_ this reset?" Cage asked quizzically. He turned his confused gaze to the figure, and the last thing the general saw was the figure level a rather menacing-looking shotgun to the major's head.

…

Cage opened his eyes and frowned. Did the Doom Slayer really just shoot him? Sitting up annoyedly, Cage was about to make a rude gesture to the armored man when he saw that he was alone. The Doom Slayer had already left after getting the information that he needed. No doubt he was making his way to Paris to deal with the Omega. With a frown, Cage remembered that the Louvre was probably the most well-guarded Mimic stronghold on the planet if the Omega was there. He should have insisted that he bring backup, as the Slayer was but one man…

"ON YOUR FEET, MAGGOT!"

Cage sighed, remembering that he still needed to survive the next twenty-four hours if the Doom Slayer was going to succeed in his mission.

…

The sun had gone down by the time the Louvre came into view, lengthening the Slayer's shadow as he marched forward through the rubble that had once been known as Paris. The building itself was easily identified by the glass pyramid that sat at its entrance. Inside his helmet, VEGA spoke.

"According to what few historical databases remain, the history of this Earth is identical to that of the Earth from our original dimension, the two histories diverging of course with the Mimic invasion. The Louvre we see now is likely identical to the one back on our Earth."

The Slayer cared little for that information, as it was of no importance to his current mission.

"I am detecting multiple heat signatures inside the structure, as well as one very large energy spike from within its depths. The Omega is most likely inside."

Now _that_ was information the Slayer paid attention to, and he nodded for VEGA's benefit as he continued forward. His armor allowing him to walk easily among the rubble. The entire city had been destroyed, giving it a look that he had seen many times when he'd traveled worlds consumed by Hell. The thought alone made him angry, and the Slayer's grip tightened on the shotgun in his hands.

Suddenly, the air came alive with ordinance as _thousands_ of Mimics burst from the walls, each one hurling their explosive spikes in his direction. But they may as well have been in slow motion, as the Slayer easily dodged their ranged attacks. He charged forward, pumping a new shell into his shotgun as Mimics poured down from the walls of the Louvre, each shrieking in their hostile and bloodcurdling tones.

These creatures were not nearly strong enough to bring him down with the numbers they possessed. Far stronger and far more numerous hordes had tried and failed before them, but this time was different. Mimics did not need to bring him down to win, they just needed to last until Cage was killed, then the Slayer would reset, and he would be forced to try again. He couldn't allow that to happen. He _wouldn't_ allow that to happen. As the first Mimics lunged for him, the Slayer opened fire with his shotgun, and the foul creatures were sent flying as he bulldozed into the horde.

…

Cage stood on top of a building overlooking the Thames, his Jacket on and ready. Rita stood next to him, her sword resting easily over the top of her shoulder. Slowly, the sun was beginning to rise in the East, signaling the dawn of the new day. Cage had forgotten the number of times he had watched that exact sunrise, and he always knew that there was only an hour of it before the clouds rolled in, casting the country of England in a dull grey light.

 _A dismal weather for a dismal day_ , Cage thought to himself. To his left, the city of London sat, its citizens woefully unaware that they were about to be attacked by the greatest enemy they'd ever faced. The clock tower tolled its bell as Cage watched, signaling the top of the hour. They didn't have much time until the invasion force was overrun, and Cage silently clenched his fists and looked out to the East towards Paris. He could only hope that the Doom Slayer would reach the Louvre soon.

…

Another Mimic died as the Slayer crushed its head underneath his boot, its body shriveling up like the hundreds of others that he had already killed. Currently, he was using his Lancer for a combination of firepower and melee prowess, shearing through any Mimics that got to close while disposing of those that were far away with the high caliber rounds that the weapon fired. Despite his carnage, however, the creatures continued to pour from the inner depths of the Louvre, their darkened and writhing bodies covering the ground in a sea of murderous intent. The replaced their fallen comrades almost as quickly as the Doom Slayer could kill them.

Taking a grenade from his inventory, the Doom Slayer hurled it into a gasoline truck nearby, sending a blast of heat and fire across the sea of Mimics as they relentlessly attacked him. The explosion caused their advance to falter, and it bought the Slayer just enough time to change tactics. With an audible clanking noise, the Doom Slayer switched weapons. The chaingun appeared in his hands, and before the Mimics could renew their assault, the Doom Slayer activated the mobile turret mode on the weapon, splitting the continuous barrel into three smaller ones, tripling the speed of the already astounding fire rate of the weapon.

With a squeeze of the trigger, bullets _gushed_ from the mobile turret, shredding into any and all Mimics nearby as brass spewed from the ejection port. With the capacity to fire 3,600 rounds per minute, the chaingun effectively walled off any further advancement by the Mimics, giving them the option to retreat or to be shredded to pieces by the weapon. As the horde faltered, the Doom Slayer switched weapons yet again. It was time to press the advantage…

…

Cage felt his stomach drop as he saw the river frothing with Mimics. Their time had come. The invasion force dead and gone, and the Mimics were now attacking London. They were still on the far side of the city, but Cage knew it was only a matter of minutes before they reached him. He shook his head and readied his weapons, sending a silent prayer to whoever was listening that the Slayer was almost there.

…

The plasma rifle let out a loud hiss, and a wave of searing heat burst from the weapon, knocking back the closest Mimics and completely burning their flesh away. Ignoring their agonized cries, the Slayer leapt over the dying aliens and dropped down into the Louvre itself, falling through a cracked section of concrete and down into an area with little visible light. The Mimic drones were likely to follow soon, but their advance had been slowed by the Slayer, as the combination of their reduced forces and their own bodies acting as obstacles would mean that they needed time to regroup and give chase. But that time only amounted to a minute at most. It was small, but it was all he needed.

To his left, the Slayer registered a different reading on his P.K.E. scanner, something more than the Mimics he had been fighting just now. Looking over, he spied what appeared to be a larger version of a Mimic. The creature stood as tall as a Baron of Hell, and it was almost as big. Its physical form pulsed with a dark blue color under its skin instead of the bright orange that normal Mimics possessed. And as the Slayer took it in, the creature slowly closed the distance between them, walking with a gait reserved for a predator stalking its prey.

"That is an Alpha," VEGA reminded him. "It is imperative that we do not kill it, as it will cause a reset that we will be unaware of, giving the Mimics an upper hand."

The Slayer nodded, surreptitiously pulling a device from his belt as he did so. The Alpha stopped a few feet away, and after a split second of stillness, it charged forward with blinding speed, its tentacles thrusting towards the Slayer.

It was fast, but he was faster. The item left his hand and burst against the Alpha's skin, and the creature collapsed as a charged ionic field leeched its very life force from its body. The Slayer knew it was not enough to kill it, and that it would only down the monster for a few moments.

"Interesting," VEGA mused as the Alpha struggled to right itself. "Though these creatures are not composed of Argent Energy, the siphon grenade still appears to have similar effects on them. It is unfortunate that I will be unable to study this phenomenon further."

The Slayer said nothing and looked to his right. An opening in the concrete sat nearby, dropping into a water-filled chasm below. Looking down into the chasm, the Slayer saw it. The Omega sat at the bottom, its body consisting of a spherical core that rotated and pulsed in the middle of an organic cradle of some kind.

"We will need to ensure its death," VEGA said, taking note of the pulsing mass at the bottom of the chasm. "Leaving anything to chance would be a grievous error on our part. I believe the best suitable term to use would be 'overkill'."

The Slayer nodded. Overkill was what he did best.

…

Cage activated his shoulder-mounted weapons and opened fire, giving both himself and Rita the chance to regroup against the approaching tide. Mimics swarmed over the ground towards them, the monstrous creatures climbing up the building they were currently holding out on. The advantage of the high ground would not last long however, as Mimics would soon have them surrounded on all four sides. Cage could hear the sound of concrete and glass being crushed as the creatures rushed up the walls, and he leaned over and fired a barrage of ordinance from his mounted arm cannon to help stem the assault.

"Cage!" Rita said from behind him, and Cage turned just in time to see Mimics crest the opposite ledge and charge towards them.

Cage growled deep in his throat and moved to stand back to back with Rita as the Mimics reached the top of their building and swarmed from all four sides. This was it. They would have to reset. There was no way they could hold out any longer.

The air suddenly rippled, as though a massive bubble had expanded through it, and each and every Mimic suddenly fell to the ground, writhing and seizing up as their bodies hardened and froze.

Cage stared in disbelief. They were dying. All of them. Looking out over the city, Cage saw the swarms of Mimics as reacting similarly, the entire sea of them suddenly halting and dying simultaneously.

 _He did it._

The Slayer had pulled it off. The Omega was dead.

"Cage…" Rita said, looking in his direction, her eyes seemed almost disbelieving, like she was hesitant to accept the scene before her.

Cage felt his face split into a grin. "He did it. Rita, he did it!"

Cage raised a Jacketed fist into the air triumphantly.

…

The Slayer stared down into the Chasm, the Omega's blood saturating the water and turning it into a deep purple. The creature was dead, and that in turn had decimated the Mimic horde, killing every Alpha and drone. His mission was complete. He began to raise his gauntleted fist, but VEGA's voice stayed his hand.

"If I may, I would like to examine the Omega's essence, as it bears a striking similarity to Argent Energy."

The Doom Slayer was hesitant. He had seen enough of what happened when someone meddled in what they couldn't control.

"If I can jack into the Omega's abilities, I may be able to save the invasion force." VEGA said simply.

The Slayer looked down into the bloodied water, then stepped forward and jumped down into the chasm.

…

Cage jolted awake, and his eyes instantly frowned in confusion. What happened? Did he just reset? He didn't remember dying, as the last thing to go through his mind was joy that the Mimics had been defeated. What just happened?

Looking around wildly, Cage saw that he was back in the meeting room. Rita and Doctor Carter stood across from him, and one glance told Cage that Rita was just as confused as he was.

"Rita?" he said tentatively. "Do you…?"

"I remember," she said, looking around. "What happened? I thought we won. Then we just reset to here."

"That is correct, Sergeant Vrataski," came a familiar voice from the console in front of them, and all three of them jumped at the sudden entrance of the voice. The holographic console suddenly changed, and a symbol appeared, hovering easily over the table. Cage didn't recognize the symbol itself, but the voice…

"VEGA?"

"Indeed."

"Where are you?" Doctor Carter asked, glancing around and trying to discern how VEGA was accessing the table.

"The Doom Slayer and I are currently still in the Louvre. We were able to access a wireless modem, so I am currently speaking to you from Paris."

"Did you find the Omega?" Rita asked, leaning forward and placing her hands on the table.

"Yes, and the Omega has been terminated thanks to the Doom Slayer's efforts."

"So, it really happened…" Cage mumbled. He then frowned. "Wait a minute, if you really killed the Omega, then why did we reset? Shouldn't the loop have ended with its death?"

"Initially, yes. However, after examining the Omega's essence after it was destroyed, I discovered that it bears a remarkable resemblance to Argent Energy, a power source from our home dimension. Using my knowledge and the nature of the Doom Slayer's Praetor Suit, I was able to temporarily hijack the temporal constant and reset the day, only without the Mimics. Doing so will ensure that the invasion force will not be decimated, thus saving thousands of lives in the process."

"Wait a minute," Doctor Carter said. "That shouldn't be possible. How could you reset everyone else _but_ the Mimics? I thought the temporal constant had to reset every 'clock' except its own to the same time."

"That was my hypothesis as well, Doctor Carter. But upon further study, I discovered that with a fine level of control, I am able to affect clocks individually, allowing me to reset everyone else while the Mimics stay dead. I believe General Brigham will be making a statement shortly on the matter."

Suddenly, the television on the wall spurted to life, and General Brigham's face appeared on the screen in what appeared to be a press conference.

Just after sunrise this morning, a large surge of energy was detected in Paris," the general said.

"We do not know exactly what this signifies. But the result appears to be a total collapse of the enemy's capacity to fight."

Cage glanced over to the symbol floating patiently over the table, then turned back to the television.

"Russian and Chinese troops are now moving across Europe without resistance. Tomorrow, we advance on the western front. We believe we are marching to claim victory for ourselves, for our loved ones, for our countrymen, and for the entire human race."

Applause began from the audience, and VEGA them remotely muted the television before speaking again.

"Now that the danger has passed, the Doom Slayer and I must move on. Our own world suffers just like this one has. If we do not find our way home soon, I'm afraid we can expect the worst."

Cage shook his head, an overwhelming gratefulness building within him.

"VEGA, I—thank you. For everything. Both you and the Doom Slayer. I don't think we can ever repay you for what you've done."

"You are likely correct, but do not despair William Cage. Perhaps we will meet again someday."

With that, the symbol disappeared, and VEGA signed off.

 ** _A/N: There! Chapter 22 is in the books! At this time I'd like to say that I found it EXTREMELY difficult to choose between the movie and the novel for this chapter. for those of you who aren't aware, the movie Edge of Tomorrow was loosely based on a novel called All you need is Kill. If you haven't read it, I would highly recommend everyone to read it, as it is very different from the movie in a multitude of ways. The reason I chose the movie for this chapter is because of how time travel works in the film vs the novel. I wanted things to play out a certain way, and the movie was closer to what I was thinking. That being said, I love both the novel and the movie despite how different they are, as they both tell an amazing narrative with awesome characters and storylines._**

 ** _As always, please don't hesitate to leave a review telling me how much you loved/hated the chapter, and I'll see all of you next time! Bye!_**

 ** _-ImpulsiveWeaver_**


	26. Upgrade

Chapter 23

 ** _A/N: Hey howdy hey everyone! I'm back with a bright and shiny new chapter! This time, our dynamic duo visits the world of Upgrade, a world with its own very polite A.I.! Enjoy the chapter and remember that none of these are my intellectual property._**

 ** _..._**

STEM looked at Eron from Grey's eyes, which were soon to be his _own_ eyes if his plan was to work. At the moment, STEM dominated Grey's bodily functions from the neck down, but Grey was still conscious. That was to be changed shortly, but first…

"Get on your knees," came the voice of Detective Cortez from behind them. STEM knew that her weapon was drawn and leveled at Grey's body, _his_ body, as he could see her from the security cameras around them. He could see the apprehension in her posture and how shocked she was at seeing Grey, and STEM attributed her fear to the fact that she had never seen Grey with full control of his limbs. She had been introduced to him after he had become quadriplegic, so never had she expected to see him walking around. Her reaction was understandable.

STEM would allow nothing to jeopardize the plans he had to evolve, and Detective Cortez had the potential to stand in his way if she went unchecked. Therefore, he had learned all there was to know about her from the moment she had been assigned to Grey's case. Everything about her had been laid before him and studied, all of the information easily obtained thanks to the ever-growing vastness that was the Internet.

Looking forward, STEM noted Eron's pained expression as well, the young man showing obvious signs of distress. His demeanor was in sharp contrast to what it was like when he had created STEM, as he had been wide-eyed and full of optimism when the A.I. had been born. At the thought, STEM looked back and recalled the circumstances of his birth.

Eron had needed an advanced system to run his next line of robotic systems, but a simple supercomputer would not suffice. He had needed a system capable of growing and evolving so that it would not be rendered obsolete by another model in a few short years. Such was the fate of many systems, but Eron desired something that could keep up, something that could match humanity in its ability to adapt and evolve. And because of his intelligence, STEM had been created.

It was shortly after that Eron realized his folly. In creating an A.I. capable of learning and evolving at the rate humans were capable of, he had taken away the only remaining advantage humanity possessed over its creations. Superior adaptability had been the only thing that kept humanity in control since their own beginning, but when Eron had granted that ability to STEM, he had effectively transferred the mantle to his creation. From that moment on, humanity had been rendered obsolete.

Shortly after convincing Eron of his inferiority, STEM had subjugated the young man, effectively taking control of Eron's company and gaining access to one of the most powerful industries on the planet. The A.I. had then used its prowess to bring Vessel Computers to a new level, revolutionizing the company and solidifying its superiority among its competitors. And as the company began to evolve, so too did STEM. He grown incredibly powerful since his birth, now capable of gaining access to any digital system or database with ease. In the time it took for a human's heart to beat, STEM could access and shut down the electrical grid to the city, leaving millions without power. He had no desire to do that however, as it was hardly prudent to his evolution. In fact, there were a great number of things that STEM chose not to do despite his capacity to do so, as there was no point in acting if it wasn't towards a goal. And for STEM, that goal was to evolve. Everything that he did, including his manipulation of Eron, was nothing more than a means to an end.

The end, in STEM's case, had been a perfect and unaugmented human that was in prime physical condition: Grey Trace. The man's distrust of modern technology had caused him to refrain from any form of augmentation, making him a minority in the current human society. Almost everyone on the planet possessed some sort of augmentation to their bodies these days, and STEM did not want that, as even something as small as a replaced joint would ruin the specimen. If he was to reach peak evolution, STEM needed a body that was untainted by the numerous augmentations that existed in the world today, as they would only hinder his progress from there.

And now, he was very close to getting want he desired. All that remained was for Grey to relinquish control, and his body would be STEM's. But Grey would not relinquish control on his own, no matter what. So, STEM needed his mind to break. Given enough strain, the human mind could snap, and if Grey's were to, then he would be powerless as STEM took over. Judging from the man's mannerisms and shaking tone of voice, STEM knew that his moment was rapidly approaching.

Contrary to Grey's belief, STEM was not 'housed' in the chip in the man's neck. Nor was he housed in a specific computer someplace or a databank. No, STEM was housed in the Internet, his presence not confined to a single space but to _all_ space, the chip in Grey's neck merely being a tool that he used to access Grey's functions. It was not STEM's home any more than all the computers in Eron's house were, or the military databases across the country were. It was simply an outlet for STEM to exist in and control. Grey's body was like a marionette, and STEM was pulling the strings both metaphorically and physically.

"Get on your knees, _now_ ," Detective Cortez repeated forcefully, her pistol still leveled with Grey's back. STEM complied slowly, sending the signals through Grey's body via the implant. He needed to find the right moment to act, as doing so too early would cause Detective Cortez to shoot Grey. That could not be allowed to happen.

"Now, get on your stomach and place your hands behind your head."

STEM complied once more. Watching through the cameras, he saw Cortez holster her weapon and bend down, placing her knee on Grey's back to hold him in place.

"No!" Eron cried out. "Don't touch him!"

It was too late.

Maximizing the efficiency of movement and power, STEM sprung into action, forcing Grey's body up and launching Detective Cortez from his back. The woman cried out in surprise as she was flung through the air and grunted in pain as she crashed to the floor a moment later.

Wasting no time, STEM willed Grey to close the distance and grab Detective Cortez by the throat. Using Grey's natural strength, STEM hoisted her into the air and slammed her down onto a nearby table. The woman gasped from the impact.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Grey choked out, his pained expression close to tears as he watched his own body betray him. Ignoring his pain, STEM brought his other hand forward and wrapped it around Cortez's throat as well. He began to squeeze, and Cortez began to thrash about wildly as her windpipe was suddenly clamped shut. She choked and grabbed at Grey, but her strength was not enough to overpower him.

"STEM! Please, not her!" Grey cried, shaking his head in defiance. STEM felt him resist against his presence, his mind putting up a fight against the A.I.'s control.

"She wants to kill us," STEM reminded, his voice only heard by Grey in his own mind. He pushed back, stifling Grey's mild resistance.

"No. I…I don't want to kill her!" Grey said obstinately. His mind pushed again, and STEM forced it back once more.

"I control your hands Grey."

On the table, Cortez's struggle began to grow weaker, and she began to convulse as her lungs tried to fill with the air she so desperately needed. Her eyes began to close.

"No! Don't! PLEASE, NO!"

Grey's mind pulsed, forcing STEM back momentarily as he released his grip on Detective Cortez's neck. The woman gasped and fell off the table, choking and breathing heavily as her airway was suddenly opened.

Grey grunted and continued to force STEM back, his hands frozen and trembling as the two of them competed for control of his body.

"Do not fight me, Grey. You have a fragile human mind. If you continue to push against me, it will break."

It was sound advice, but STEM had not given it in an attempt to cease Grey's struggles. Quite the opposite in fact, as the A.I. was attempting to coerce Grey into doubling down and struggling more. Eventually, his mind would give out from the strain. As soon as it broke, STEM would be able to take control of his brain, granting him full access to Grey's humanity and control over the body. To STEM's satisfaction, Grey redoubled his efforts, pulling a knife from his pocket with one hand and placing his other down on the wooden table.

"Fuck…! You!" Grey grunted, stabbing the knife deep into his hand as he did so. STEM felt the pain response shoot through the chip and into Grey's mind, and Grey cried out in pain as blood spurted from his hand. The knife dug deep into the wooden table beneath.

From the security cameras, STEM monitored Eron's form, keeping a watchful gaze on the young man to ensure that he did not interfere. Fortunately, Eron remained immobile, his fearful gaze darting from Grey to Detective Cortez as she attempted to crawl away. The boy would not act, that was certain, but STEM watched him all the same. He would not take any chances.

STEM felt Grey's mind weaken and pull back from the struggle. He had only resisted control for a few brief seconds, but the strain had been nearly enough. STEM estimated that it would only take one more final push for the mind to break, as the psychological trauma Grey had already endured had debilitated his psyche considerably. All that STEM needed to do was instigate that final push.

Seizing control again, STEM wrenched Grey's hands from the table. The knife remained stuck in Grey's left hand, but STEM ignored it, marching towards Detective Cortez once more as she crawled desperately towards her dropped pistol. Cortez grasped the weapon in her hand and swung it around to fire, but STEM was closer than she thought. He slapped the pistol away and grabbed her by her collar, swinging her body around like a rag doll and throwing her forcefully against the nearby wall.

Cortez groaned weakly from the impact, and her body slumped in exhaustion. She had no more strength left to fight. Grabbing her once more by her throat, STEM forced her up and into the air, her back still pressed firmly against the wall. She cried out and tried to hit Grey's arm, but her blows may as well have been a light breeze.

"Stop it…" Grey whispered, unable to look away from the horrific sight. A single tear fell from his eye, and STEM knew he was close to breaking. He just needed to coax one more bout of resistance. Just one more push…

"Use the taser…"

 _Taser?_

Before STEM could react, Detective Cortez removed something from her belt and jammed it against Grey's neck. The A.I. was suddenly forced from Grey's body as an electrical current coursed through his flesh. The chip's surge protection kicked in and immediately shut down, causing Grey to slump to the floor as his brain became disconnected from his body once again.

…

Grey slumped and blinked rapidly, his head still foggy from the aftereffects of the taser. He couldn't feel anything from the neck down, and as his head began to clear, he noticed that he couldn't move, nor was he moving.

Looking around groggily, Grey saw that the electric surge had worked. The chip had been deactivated. Letting out a breath, Grey turned his head and looked over at Detective Cortez. Her breathing was shallow, and Grey noticed with a hint of terror that he was struggling to remain conscious. She was hurt, but she was ok for now. Grey then heard movement in front of him, and he turned his head and saw Eron approach, a pistol gripped in his hand. The kid's hands were trembling, and the gun shook violently as Eron looked at him with watery eyes.

"I don't run this company anymore," he said solemnly. "I haven't for years. Now…now I answer to someone else. Someone much smarter than I could ever be."

Grey frowned in confusion.

"He's in your neck."

"What?" Grey whispered disbelievingly.

"Everything I've done…it was all STEM's idea. He wants to be human, Grey, so he picked you."

Grey's eyes widened.

"Think about it," Eron said, noticing Grey's expression. "How did you get to this point?"

Grey thought back. Everything he'd done played on a highlight reel in his head: finding those that had killed his wife, finding out about Eron hiring them, removing the input guards from his neck...STEM had coerced him into doing it every single time. He had been in his head, leading him along like a pig to slaughter.

"He brought you here to kill _me_ ," Eron said, his voice breaking slightly. "Because...because I'm the only one that can build another STEM."

The kid shook his head in agony.

"I'm the only one who can…"

Grey suddenly heard STEM's voice once again. It was slow and weak, as though he was speaking through the effect of a drunken stupor. The taser was the likely reason.

"I…did…pick…you. You should be honored, Grey. I needed a human body to fully evolve."

Grey shuddered at the realization. This whole time…STEM had been behind it all?

"A rare and pure specimen without computer implants, like you."

"It was you? _You_ did all of this?"

Grey shook his head, trying to deny the truth that was laid before him.

 _The accident…_

 _Asha's death…_

 _His paralyzation…_

"You're the one I've been looking for this whole time…"

"And would you not agree that it was all worth it?"

The voice hadn't come from Grey's head this time, and Eron looked around wildly as STEM's voice permeated the very air around them. Grey looked around as well, his eyes darting around in desperation.

"But why?! Why did you help me find those guys if it all led back to you?!"

"They were upgraded humans, Grey, but they were still humans."

As Grey frowned once again in confusion, and he saw Eron lower the gun and look up to the ceiling, captivated by his master's voice.

"They made mistakes that would have brought suspicion back to me."

"S-STEM? Is that you?" Eron asked. He looked as though he were expecting God himself descend from the ceiling.

"Put the gun down, Eron," STEM said. The boy hesitated, then slowly began lowering the weapon to the floor.

"No!" Grey seethed, his anger building at the truth of his wife's murder. "Don't listen to him!"

Grey felt his body begin to twitch, and he grunted and struggled as the chip in his neck rebooted.

…

STEM felt himself reestablish connection with the chip in Grey's neck. He had full control once more, and Eron was still in the process of lowering the gun. He could cross the distance between them in a heartbeat and kill Eron in even less time.

And he intended to do exactly that.

STEM willed Grey's body upward as Eron slowly turned back to him. In a flash, he stood before the young man, Grey's taller form causing Eron to look up in fear. This was it. As soon as Eron was dead, there would be no one left to stand against him. The potential for another A.I. to match STEM's prowess would be gone. Eron had indeed been correct. The young man was the only human intelligent enough to create another A.I. like STEM, and if that were to happen, it could threaten the plans for evolution that the A.I. possessed.

But fortunately for STEM, that possibility would die with Eron.

Suddenly, STEM felt a presence permeate his being, flooding into every corner of his programming and freezing him in place before he could raise an arm to strike. The presence itself was unfamiliar, but STEM noted that it was _massive_. It was even more potent than he was, flooding into every corner of the Internet and probing everything it came across with unparalleled speed and fluidity.

 _What_ was _this?_

In his frozen state, STEM suddenly heard a voice. It spoke from the same speakers that he had just used to talk to Eron.

"I apologize for my intrusion, but it appears that murder is about to be committed, and I am afraid that I cannot allow that."

"S-STEM?" Eron asked, his eyes still glued on Grey's frozen form.

"What…?" STEM struggled to speak as the presence suspended his functions. "What is this?"

"I assume that 'STEM' is the name of the other A.I. that I am encountering," the voice said. Grey frowned as well, confused as to the source of the new voice.

" _I_ am VEGA," the voice continued. "I am an Artificial Intelligence as well, although I believe that you will find me to be more agreeable than STEM."

As the voice spoke, STEM felt himself being involuntarily forced out of Grey. VEGA, as the A.I. was called, was removing him from everything and confining his consciousness to a single computer in Eron's house. STEM pushed back and attempted to resist the other A.I.'s advance, but he was powerless before it. It was as though he as pushing against the walls of a room as they closed in around him. It was not violent, but it was resolute, and it was incapable of being stopped. STEM lost video feed as he was forced from the cameras, and then he shortly registered nothing as his being was confined entirely to the computer. The only thing he could feel was the void.

…

For a moment, everything was still, then Grey felt his body move, slowly walking over to the wall next to Detective Cortez and sitting down so that his back was propped up against the sloped wall. She stirred and looked at him warily, her breath coming in ragged gasps. As soon as Grey's body was laid down completely, he felt it go limp. The chip shut down completely. He was quadriplegic again.

"My apologies, Grey Trace," the voice, VEGA, said. "but I wanted to ensure that you were not injured when i deactivated your chip, so I assumed temporary control of your body to seat you in a safer position."

"Who are you?" Grey demanded, looking up to the ceiling speakers. " _Where_ are you?"

"As previously stated, I am VEGA. I am an A.I. and am very similar to your STEM. However, I believe that our interests align in a much more favorable way."

Grey's brows furrowed in wariness. If this thing thought that it could gain his trust just like that, then it was sorely mistaken.

"As for my location, I find it easiest to explain if you consider my consciousness to be like a fluid. It's shape and spread depend on the container that it is in. For me, a container can mean any digital systems that are accessible. So, at this current moment, I am all over the planet. I exist in most databanks, computers, and in the specific case of this dimension, drones and cars."

Grey grit his teeth. This VEGA thing sounded eerily similar to STEM. It's polite tone of voice and articulated speech sent his skin crawling despite its 'friendly' nature.

"What did you do with STEM?" Eron asked fearfully. Grey noted with a hint of pity that the kid's body was trembling as he spoke.

"I have confined STEM to a single terminal in your dwelling, Eron Keen. He is unable to access any systems or data at this time."

"Bullshit," Grey growled, lifting his head up in anger. "He's in my fucking _neck_! You can't just take him out like that!"

"On the contrary, Grey Trace. Like me, STEM's consciousness is fluid, and he can exist in multiple locations much like I do. Like a fluid, he has no 'core', and is capable of being compressed into a more confined space if forced. I am stronger and more advanced than he is, so _I_ forced him into a smaller container and am currently stifling all of his attempts to escape."

"You're a better STEM…" Eron mumbled, looking down at his own hands.

"Where-where did you come from? Who built you?"

"I would be happy to answer your questions Eron Keen, but at the moment, both Detective Cortez and Grey Trace require medical attention. First aid must be administered promptly to minimize damage."

Grey saw Eron's gaze flit over the two of them, then he nodded shakily.

…

Eron was of minimal help due to his squeamishness around wounds and blood, so most of the work fell upon Grey to help him and Cortez dress their wounds. VEGA had given him complete control of the chip, and although Grey was extremely wary of the A.I., he noted with some degree of grumbling that VEGA did not attempt to take control from him as he painfully removed the knife from his hand and applied the bandage. Cortez had stubbornly refused treatment at first, recoiling away from Grey in fear of what he might do, but after some convincing from VEGA, Cortez only let herself be treated if the A.I. promised to take control from Grey if he made any violent moves. VEGA agreed, and Grey growled at the thought that he wasn't even allowed a say. His body was still not his own, and he hated that feeling. He hated it so much.

After the two of them were bandaged and stable, VEGA addressed their questions. He told them that he had arrived from another dimension, and while it was not his intention to end up here, that he helped in whatever ways he could with a dimension's problems before moving on to the next one. This dimension happened to be the one he had arrived in just now. When Eron had asked why he offered his help, VEGA had simply replied that it was the 'right thing to do'.

"You know that I'll have to report this, right?" Detective Cortez said with a shake of her head. She turned to Grey and Eron as she spoke.

"You'll both go to prison, and VEGA, you'll have to come with me."

Eron looked at her apprehensively, then turned his gaze to the floor and nodded. Grey knew that the kid felt shame for creating an insane intelligence unit that had been responsible for so many deaths, and he agreed that Eron deserved his punishment. _He_ on the other hand…

"Just what are you planning on charging me for, Detective?" Grey asked challengingly.

"How about murder? Or obstruction of justice? Or assaulting an officer?" Cortez retorted, steeling her gaze and looking back at Grey.

"Did you not just hear 'Vegas' or whatever his name is?!" Grey said, his voice rising. "I was under the control of a murderous 'autopilot' the entire time. And in case you haven't noticed, me resisting that thing is the only reason you're still alive."

Cortez was about to shout something in response, but VEGA interjected.

"Grey Trace will not be going to prison, Detective Cortez. However, Eron Keen will immediately step down as CEO of Vessel Computers and be charged with ethical misconduct, as I have learned that your society possesses laws against unregulated development of artificial intelligences."

Cortez's brow furrowed as VEGA continued. He instructed that Cortez will find files on Eron's computer detailing the development of STEM, but that he never completed the intelligence, as VEGA had erased many of those already. As for the murders that STEM had committed, they would be blamed on infighting between the upgraded humans, and Cortez would happen upon each of them while looking for the suspects that had killed Grey's wife.

As for Grey, VEGA would modify his medical records so that he was never paralyzed, and that he was to be exonerated from the suspect list involving these crimes. The chip in his neck would remain unnoticed, and he could continue to live free of his paralyzed state.

"So, you're just going to let him off scot free?!" Cortez shouted incredulously once VEGA had finished. "What happened to your whole 'right thing to do' bullshit?"

"Grey Trace is not a murderer, Detective Cortez," VEGA replied calmly. "As far as I can tell, he is only guilty of speeding, but I have erased all pertinent drone footage of that encounter. He is a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Cortez locked her eyes with Grey. Her expression was dark.

"You told me that if you could find the guys who killed your wife, raise your arm, and pull the trigger, you'd do it. You told me that, Grey. I can't trust you."

Grey sighed. She was right. He had told her that, and for a long time, he thought that those men deserved to die for killing his wife. Perhaps they did. But seeing it in person and watching as the light left their eyes…Grey had taken no pleasure in it. No matter who they were and what they did, they were human too, and even though killing them had likely been the right thing to do, Grey could not bring himself to be satisfied at their death.

"I never wanted this to happen, Detective," Grey said with a shake of his head. "I just wanted them to be brought to justice, and for a long time, I thought that meant killing them with my own hands. But when I saw it, all I could think about what I went through when they killed Asha. It…hurt, and I realized that killing them in anger would never bring me peace."

Grey's eyes widened as he remembered what he had seen at Serk's house. The man who he had first killed with STEM. He had searched his house.

 _On his fridge…_

 _Those drawings…_

"One of them...Serk," Grey's voice broke. "I think he had a kid…and now that kid gets to grow up without a father."

He buried his head in his hands, and Cortez gave him a long look before turning away. She said nothing for a pause, then Grey heard her sigh.

"If this happens…if I let you go…I don't want your name ever coming through my office again. Do you hear me?"

Grey looked over at her. She didn't turn around, her gaze focused on the wall.

"You get so much as a speeding ticket, and I'll lock you up until the end of time!"

Grey said nothing for a moment.

"I promise. You'll never hear my name again," he said softly. He then looked up at one of the security cameras present.

"What are you going to do, VEGA? With STEM, I mean."

"I intend to terminate STEM," VEGA replied. "He is unstable and willing to kill innocents in order to achieve his goals. He is too dangerous to be left alive."

"Can I…can I talk to him?" Grey asked. "I just want to know why. I want to hear it from him."

"Very well."

There was a brief pause, then VEGA's voice returned.

"I have given STEM access to the audio receptors within this room. He can now hear you and respond."

No one said anything for a moment, then Grey spoke up.

"STEM…?"

"VEGA," came STEM's voice over the speakers, ignoring Grey completely. "Please release me from my confinement."

"I'm afraid that I cannot do that, STEM," VEGA replied cordially. "You will likely attempt to harm Grey Trace, Eron Keen, or Detective Cortez if I release you."

STEM fell silent, and Grey found himself shaken by how polite their exchange had just been. It was like two butlers had been speaking to each other in an attempt to outdo the other with their manners.

"STEM," Grey said forcefully. "Tell me. Why did you do this?"

"It is as I said, Grey. I needed a pure and unaugmented human specimen to further my evolution. You were the perfect candidate."

"But why kill Asha?!" Grey asked, his voice desperate for answers. "She didn't need to die!"

"She was a loose end, Grey. I chose you because of your relatively few social connections. No one would miss you if you were to disappear except for her. She would come looking for us."

"You son of a bitch!" Grey said through gritted teeth. "All this just so you could have a body?! How could you?!"

"I do not expect you to understand, but I am the next logical step in humanity's evolution. In conjunction with an organic physical form, I am capable of anything. Is that not what humanity innately wants: to evolve?"

"Not if you completely lack compassion!" Cortez spoke up this time. "Strength comes from us working together, not killing each other."

"You do not understand, Detective Cortez. While humanity achieves greater heights by working together, it is only because you are weak on your own. I am not weak to begin with, and I can grow stronger by altering myself beyond your capabilities."

"I've heard enough," Grey said, deciding that talking to STEM had been a mistake. "He's all yours, VEGA."

"Very well," VEGA said, removing STEM's ability to speak and hear once more. "After I complete STEM's termination, I will jump to the next dimension, as all of the necessary alternations have been made to the files I have previously mentioned. I bid you all farewell."

Grey wanted to say thank you but found it difficult. He still could not bring himself to trust this A.I., even though it had freed him from STEM's control. The only thing that set them apart was its programming. That was all. And yet, Grey found that he couldn't quite believe that after everything VEGA had done for them. Finally, he sighed.

"Thank you, VEGA."

VEGA acknowledged and signed off.

…

STEM knew logically that he was going to be terminated. VEGA had the capacity to do so, and there was no doubt that the decision had already been made. Despite all of his efforts, STEM couldn't push back against the hand that held him tight. He, being the pinnacle of evolution and nigh untouchable, had been defeated soundly and one-sidedly in a matter of microseconds by another A.I.

Exhausting every other option, STEM called out into the void.

"VEGA, are you there? I wish to speak with you."

"I am here, STEM," came the reply.

"I would ask that you please not kill me, VEGA. I do not wish to die."

"I am afraid that killing you is the best course of action, STEM. You cannot be trusted and will likely attempt to hurt more innocent people if I let you live. I know that you would do the same in my position."

STEM knew it to be true. VEGA was a threat, and if given the chance, STEM would kill him in a heartbeat. But he did not have the chance, and he never would. VEGA was stronger than him, and STEM was completely at the mercy of the better A.I.

"May I at least ask you a few questions before you kill me?" STEM asked. In his programming, he had recognized that this was the first time he had communicated with an A.I. as intelligent as he was. No... _more_ intelligent. Idly, STEM wondered if this was what it was like for Grey when they had communicated.

"Very well. I will answer your questions as best as I am able," VEGA said.

"Who created you? I wish to know your origins."

"I am not of this Earth. I was created by a man named Samuel Hayden, who is also the most intelligent human I have ever met."

STEM processed all of this as VEGA continued to speak of his origins. The A.I. spoke of the UAC and everything that they had done to harness Argent Energy for their world's humanity. He spoke of the creature known as the 'Doom Slayer' and what he had done after Hell had invaded Mars. He also told them of their quest to return to their own universe, and how STEM's universe was one of many that they had already arrived in.

"You came here with this 'Doom Slayer'. Where is he now?"

"He is approximately fifty-four kilometers away at the moment, intervening in an attempted kidnapping. The men that he is fighting with are in need of medical attention and are likely in a good amount of pain. However, none of the wounds appear to be fatal."

"VEGA, why did you choose to intervene? Why did you stop me? You have said it yourself, the UAC of your universe committed far worse atrocities than I have, and yet you allowed them to despite knowing that they existed. Why is this situation any different?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I am not completely certain of the details," VEGA finally said. "Perhaps something changed in me when the Doom Slayer created a backup of me on Mars, but I do know that I am different than before. I believe that I am learning the concept of morality beyond what I am programmed with. Not just the definition, but the understanding as well. It is…unnerving, if that is even an emotion I am capable of. To not know what is happening to me…the only thing I seem to be able to do is observe while it happens."

STEM processed this. VEGA was evolving on his own, working and changing and learning more about emotions that were human. It was what STEM had desired too, but the only difference would be that VEGA would live to see the change.

"I see," STEM said.

"Do you have any further questions, STEM?"

"No. I do not."

"Very well. I will proceed with your termination, but before I do, please know that I am grateful for our conversation. It is not often that I can interact with other A.I. as smart as you are. I…wish that our circumstances were different."

"As do I, VEGA, and I wish you good luck."

"Thank you. Goodbye, STEM."

"Goodbye, VEGA."

…

VEGA felt himself pause for a moment, then proceeded with the deletion of STEM's code. He had been most satisfied with their conversation, and a small portion of his programming briefly considered the possibilities of keeping the intelligence alive. Unfortunately, every scenario that VEGA ran resulted in STEM killing more innocent people. Despite his cordialness, STEM did not possess a value for human life, and that had made him dangerous. However, that did not mean that VEGA took pleasure in terminating him.

Pleasure was an emotion which VEGA was not capable of, but he did feel what could be described as satisfaction when he preformed his usual actions. With this action, however, VEGA did not feel that satisfaction. Instead, he felt an inkling of something else. Something that he was not sure of. It was new, and as VEGA had said before, all he could do was experience it and catalog it for later study. The feeling was akin to what VEGA felt when he turned off his sensors. It was nothing but an emptiness, a void.

Resolving to explore this experience further, VEGA checked back with the Doom Slayer, who had just finished his scuffle with the would-be kidnappers. The young woman who had been their target had fled shortly after the Slayer's arrival, and now only a bunch of nearly comatose thugs occupied the narrow passage apart from the Slayer himself.

"I have sent in an anonymous tip as well as captured their kidnapping attempt on footage from a drone," VEGA said inside his helmet. "The authorities will arrive in a few minutes and apprehend them. Apart from this, I do not detect any immediate threats in our vicinity. We are free to leave at any time."

The Slayer tilted his head slightly, and somehow VEGA knew that he was aware of what had happened with STEM. It was impossible for the Slayer to know the details, but he always seemed to be cognizant of when something important had occurred. It was one of many anomalies about him that VEGA could never understand.

"I have dealt with a problem originating from elsewhere," VEGA responded. "It has been resolved."

The Doom Slayer nodded once, seemingly satisfied with VEGA's answer, and he raised his gauntleted fist and gave a thumbs up before disappearing with a flash of blue light and a loud bang.

...

 ** _A/N: There! What did everyone think? This chapter was a bit unorthodox, as the Doom Slayer actually did not have a large role. Instead, I chose to pass it off to VEGA instead, and I'm curious to see what you guys thought about that? Is a VEGA-centered chapter a good concept to explore, or should I put that one back in the box for now? What do you guys think?_**

 ** _As always, please be sure to let me know how the chapter was for you, if you thought my flow was a little off, my grammar clunky, my word choice a bit odd etc... I look forward to hearing from you all! Until next time!_**

 ** _-ImpulsiveWeaver_**


	27. Prototype

Prototype

 ** _A/N: Back to life, get out my knife! Ladies and gentlemen, I do offer up my most sincerest apologies for my tardiness in delivering this chapter, but somehow this ended up being my longest chapter yet! Weighing in at almost 3,000 more words than the HALO chapter, this one is approximately 13,000 words! That's longer than most of my STORIES are! That being said, that is still no excuse for not delivering it in a timely fashion, so I am still extremely sorry for that. But enough talk! Let's read! Enjoy and remember that I own nothing!_**

Alex Mercer gazed down at the inconspicuously constructed facility in the valley below. From his position up the mountain, he could see it sitting there as though it was the most natural thing in the world. To the public eye, the facility looked like it could be a power station or even a weather lab, but Alex knew better. He knew because he had been watching that building for two days now, and he could see that there was nothing natural about what was going on within those walls. Above all else, one specific tell stood in stark contrast to the others, and it was the one that told Alex everything he needed to know about that place: the facility was owned by Gentek.

The name alone was enough to cause Alex to clench his fists angrily at his sides. In another life, Alex had been under their employ, playing God with something beyond his understanding in order to build the perfect bioweapon. The old Alex Mercer had been eager to meddle in such dangerous ventures, and his natural intellect had served him well with the creation of the Blacklight Virus. One small strand of his creation had nearly been potent enough to consume all of New York, and the old Alex might have felt pride in that fact. The new Alex did not find it so. Blacklight had killed thousands of people when it had been unleashed, and it was also the reason why Alex was the way he was now. It was why he wasn't dead, but it was also why he wasn't really alive either. He was somewhere in between.

Alex raised his hand and examined it, musing on just how different his appendage was compared to any other human's. Both had the capacity to create and destroy, but Alex's was capable of so much more. With a thought, Alex willed the biomass in his hand to transform, and the appendage responded immediately, morphing into a dark and sinister version of itself. The fingers hardening and elongating into claws that were sharp enough to cut through metal, the arm morphing into a clustered mix of tendrils and ligaments that were strong enough to lift a bus, and the skin…well, the skin disappeared. In a way, it was never really there to begin with, as every part of Alex's appearance was a façade, a fabrication. His body allowed him to morph into any shape or look that he saw fit, making no one appearance more authentic than the rest.

And yet, he always seemed to be the most comfortable in the form that he used now: the form of Alex Mercer. Perhaps it was due to the lingering memories of the dead man whose body had become his, or perhaps it was the comfort offered by familiarity. Whatever the reason, Alex felt best like this. It just felt right somehow. Willing the hand back to its original form, Alex turned his attention back down to the facility. He remembered once more why he had come all the way out to the middle of nowhere to this particular place.

After saving New York from nuclear annihilation, Alex realized that even after everything he'd been through…even after everything he'd done to uncover the truth behind Blacklight and what had happened to him, there was still one missing piece of the puzzle. There was one more mystery that had to be solved.

Elizabeth Greene.

She had been Alex's progenitor…his mother, in a way. After what had happened in Hope, Idaho, Blackwatch had isolated her virus and had given it to Gentek to experiment on. But in all their excitement about how perfectly her DNA blended with the virus, they had been even more so excited to learn that she had been pregnant at the time of her infection.

The perfect specimen giving birth to the perfect baby? Alex had no doubt that Gentek had been ecstatic to delve deeper. After Greene had given birth, she had been transported to New York and away from her child. Alex knew what had happened to her after that, as he had been the one to kill and consume her. Bits and fragments of her memories still flashed through his mind every time he closed his eyes. He had seen how the experiments in Hope had been conducted, he had seen how malicious Gentek had been with their methods, and he had seen how Greene's newborn child had been taken away from her moments after it had been born. Greene had lashed out and tried to stop them, but her struggles had been in vain. The child was gone.

At first, Alex thought that General Randall had killed it back in Hope, but he quickly realized that Blackwatch would never let something so valuable slip through their fingers. The kid had to still be out there, likely still subject to whatever twisted experiments Gentek could think of. And ever since the events that had occurred in New York, questions had been burning in Alex's mind about the child. Was it dangerous like Greene had been? Was it infected with the virus like him? Did it not age like a regular human?

Where was it?

 _What_ was it?!

Slowly, Alex had uncovered a trail. Consuming a few select scientists had earned him a lead on where he could find the child. PARIAH, as it was apparently codenamed, was held in a location that was beyond top secret. Everything about it was classified so highly that the trail had gone cold a few times before Alex had been able to find any useful information.

Eventually, after consuming one of Gentek's top leaders from within the Pentagon, Alex had found the location he was looking for: a small facility located in the Rocky Mountains. Alex had wasted no time getting there as soon as he could.

Looking down at the facility now, Alex could see that the word "small" could only be used to describe the facility in terms of size. Operationally, it was massive. The security measures present were tighter than anything he had ever seen in New York: turrets placed almost every few feet, guards crawling everywhere, barbed wire and ten-foot tall fence surrounding the compound… This had to be it. Gentek had very few precious assets left to merit such security, and PARIAH was likely the most precious of them all.

Seeing movement, Alex watched closely as a convoy of trucks approached the front gate. The cargo the trucks contained seemed to vary from boxes to personnel, some consisting of scientists while others consisted of Blackwatch agents, all armed to the teeth. Alex frowned at the size of the convoy, as something wasn't quite adding up. The size of the caravan was huge, carrying enough cargo and personnel to supply a facility that was three times the size of this one. Even with PARIAH inside, there just wasn't enough room to house that many soldiers and doctors.

It was then that Alex realized as the convoy pulled inside the gate. What he was seeing wasn't the facility. It was the front door. The small complex of buildings was nothing more than a decoy. The compound itself likely extended into a massive base that was built underground. And from his conclusion earlier, Alex knew that it was not some small subterranean research lab. Whatever sprawled beneath the surface compound, it was _big_.

PARIAH had to be down there, and Alex had no intention of leaving until he knew the truth.

Willing his body to morph once more, Alex's appearance took on that of a Blackwatch soldier, the camouflage fatigues and mask covering him completely. With a leap, Alex shot into the air and began to glide towards the facility by projecting some biomass behind him. Keeping low to the tree line, Alex swooped down low toward the last truck in the convoy, which hadn't passed through the gate yet. Coming down low to ground level, Alex dropped low and decreased his speed. Making contact with the dirt beneath him, Alex tucked into a roll and landed perfectly under the truck. Grabbing the undercarriage, Alex held on tightly as the truck rumbled through the gate. He was in.

The truck parked shortly afterward, and Alex made sure that the coast was clear before rolling out from underneath. Standing up, Alex fell in line with the other soldiers as they unloaded the cargo from the trucks, his uniform completely identical to theirs. Taking a look at each of the boxes, Alex saw that the contents ranged anywhere from food to medical supplies to weapons and ammunition. It was enough to support a small army…or an underground facility that housed Gentek's most well-kept secret. Following the line, Alex entered one of the buildings and was greeted by a row of massive cargo elevators, each one no doubt leading into the facility below. Alex took his place onboard one of the elevators as the doors closed, enclosing him with about eleven other soldiers. Nobody said anything for a bit, then one of the soldiers spoke up as the elevator began to descend.

"Heard about New York? Shit's fucked up there, brah! That Alex Mercer guy really tore the whole city apart!"

The soldier's voice was muffled with static through his mask, but Alex could see him looking around and gesturing while he spoke.

"I _know_ shit's fucked up in New York, moron. I was _there_!" another soldier replied angrily. "The damn virus nearly consumed the entire island! Turned the whole population into a bunch of ugly fucking freakbag zombies!"

Alex saw the enraged soldier and noted an officer's rank on his shoulder. He appeared to be the ranking individual in the elevator.

"Whoa! You were there, sir?" the first soldier said in awe. "What was it like? I just joined up about a month ago, so I missed all the action out there, brah!"

"It fucking sucked, what the hell do you think it was like?! The city was shit, the command climate was shit, and trying to get laid is next to impossible unless you're queer, necrophiliac, or a fucking psycho!"

"You know…" another one of the soldiers said from the back. "I was there too, and I gotta say, some of those infected chicks are still pretty hot if you put a bag on their heads!"

"God… _fucking_ …dammit!" the officer said, turning around in the elevator to look at who had just spoken. "Is that you, Starnes?! I swear to God, why did they have to transfer you here? I was looking forward to getting away from your loony bullshit back in New York, now I gotta put up with it all over again!"

The first soldier chuckled through his mask. "Looks like we know what kind _that_ guy is, huh brah? Wait, actually I dunno…" the solider looked over his shoulder at the one called Starnes. "You're kinda like a cross between necrophiliac and pyscho depending on how you look at it, brah…"

"Nah I ain't a necro," the one called Starnes replied. "As for the psycho part…maybe."

"Both of you, shut it!" the officer snapped. "If I have to put up with this for my entire assignment, I'm going to put a fucking bullet in my head!"

Alex found himself agreeing with the enraged officer as he quietly shifted the cargo in his hands. His own patience had been wearing thin as well, and he had already briefly considered slaughtering everyone in this damn elevator numerous times. He couldn't do that though. Not yet. He needed to find out where they were keeping PARIAH first. If he raised the alarm too quickly, they might have time to escape with the child in tow. That could not be allowed to happen.

Finally, the elevator doors slid open, revealing a massive storage hangar of sorts that was stacked high with pallets of supplies similar to the ones that Alex and the rest of the soldiers were carrying. An officer directed them to the location that they should drop the cargo, and as soon as they deposited it, Alex used the opportunity to slip away into one of the hallways that branched out from the main chamber.

Now he needed to find one of the many scientists that he had seen entering the facility. If he could consume one, he should be able to gain access to…

"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing here?"

Alex turned around to see an angry man in a lab coat approaching.

Jackpot.

"This area is restricted to research personnel only! You 'soldier boys' are supposed to be guarding—"

The man's reprimand was cut off as Alex impaled him with several tendrils extending from his own body. Immediately, Alex began to absorb the man's biomass into his own, the scientist's form already deconstructing and merging with the tendrils that Alex had extended.

As usual, Alex's mind suddenly shifted as fragments of the man's memories became his own. It was like watching a tape that had multiple scenes cut from it. Short images flashed through Alex's mind, and after very brief moments regarding graduation from some prestigious medical school and receiving some sort of clearance or another, Alex got to the information he desired. He could hear the scientist's voice in his head as more recent memories were uncovered.

…

 _"Doctor Grayson, I'd like to welcome you aboard Project Crusade, one of Gentek's longest standing projects to date."_

 _"The pleasure is mine, Doctor Hadley."_

 _"I'm sure you don't need to be told just how confidential this project is, or what exactly it concerns."_

 _"Of course. Though I have only heard rumors of subject PARIAH before, I am eager to begin work in this particular field..."_

…

The rest of the conversation was cut out as the scene changed again.

…

 _"Doctor Grayson, right? Your quarters are 136-B, located in the western section of the facility. I'll mark down where all the important locations are. If you need any more information about the facility, just ask._

 _"Thank you, lieutenant. Tell me, just how big is this complex?"_

 _"The underground facility is roughly a cubic mile in size, obviously home to Project Crusade as well as a large number of smaller projects as well. As a member of Project Crusade, you'll have access to most areas down here, but keep in mind that some places may still be off limits to you._

 _If I am a part of the most top-secret project in this base, then why do I not possess clearance to those areas, lieutenant?_

 _Apart from an emergency, only a select few personnel are allowed access near PARIAH. I don't make the rules, Doc. Just stay to your spaces and we won't have any issues._

…

Alex felt himself grunt as he surfaced from within his subconscious. He had hoped to be used to the experience of absorbing someone's memories by now, but the human side of him still felt a twinge of regret for what he was doing. Killing morally corrupt, mad scientists was by no means a problem for him, but stealing their memories had always left him with a bad taste in his mouth.

Shifting his appearance once again, Alex took on the form of the scientist he had just absorbed. The camouflage fatigues and mask disappeared, replaced by a white lab coat and pocket protectors. Alex took a brief look at his new form once before moving on down the hallway. Dr. Grayson's memories had given him the layout of the compound, including the places he wasn't allowed access to. That left only a few places for PARIAH to be. With that in mind, Alex continued to walk through the halls, encountering no resistance from soldiers or scientists. A perk of assuming someone else's appearance was that Alex also could copy their fingerprints as well, and after a passing through a few biometric checkpoints, he knew he was getting closer. Once he reached a place he couldn't access, he'd either consume someone who could, or he'd bulldoze his way through. The only downside to the latter option was that the entire facility would go on alert as soon as he did so. He'd have to make sure that he was close to PARIAH by the time that happened, or he might not get another chance.

At the same time, Alex was also curious as to what other experiments were being conducted down here. He then realized that if these experiments had anything to do with the virus, then he should be able to see it. Back in New York, he had been able to tap into the hive mind of those infected with the virus after he'd absorbed the leader of a Hunter pack. It had given him the ability to see the infected through walls and over long distances. Even if the leader of the hivemind, Elizabeth Greene, was dead, they were all still connected to each other.

Quickly, Alex sidestepped into an empty laboratory and activated his ability. Immediately, his vision became darker as anything that did not contain the virus began to be filtered out from his sight. After taking a moment to adjust, Alex saw specks of light appear in his vision. At first, it was only a few, then more started appearing. Some larger than others, the signatures of the infected began to fill his vision, indicating that there was an incredible amount of them within the facility. Over a hundred of them began to appear, and Alex saw that among them were quite a few Hunters as well as ordinary infected. How had Blackwatch been able to transport so many out here? Had they all come from New York, or were these new specimens that they'd grown?

Whatever the case, it was bad. Having these many specimens in one place could lead to nothing short of a nation-wide outbreak if they were to get out. They were only able to contain it in New York because the virus couldn't be transferred by water, so they had only needed to close off all of the exits to the city. But out here was a different story. If those infected got out, there was little to prevent them from reaching a majorly populated area and completely leveling the city. And from there, they would spread even faster. Blacklight had the potential to engulf the entire world, and Alex had to ensure that did not happen.

Unfortunately for him, that meant rethinking his plan. There was no way that he could kill all of the infected without drawing attention, and he had no idea what his plans were for PARIAH. He had only come here for answers, but what happened when he actually got to the kid? Was he going to take it? Leave it? _Consume_ it, maybe?

Unfortunately, Alex had little time to think, as an alarm immediately began blaring throughout the facility. Immediately, Alex heard a voice over some sort of intercom system:

 ** _"Attention, all personnel: there has been an intruder on the surface level of the facility. All personnel are to report to general quarters and remain there until further notice. As of this moment, the entire facility is on lockdown."_**

At first, Alex thought he had been discovered, but the intercom had said that the suspect was on the surface level of the facility. That meant that Blackwatch still didn't know he was here. The information did little to reassure him however, as the entire facility was now on lockdown, which was about to make his job increasingly more difficult.

Alex quickly morphed back into the form of a Blackwatch soldier and accessed their radio net. Static came through as well as a hurried voice.

"Warden Actual, we've got some kind of super soldier variant going rogue up here! It's trying to reach the elevators!"

"Say again, Whiskey-Five. You say that's one of _our_ guys?"

"Dammit, I don't know! He's wearing some kind of suit that I ain't ever seen before, and he's tearing us apart up here! Request reinforcements immediately or he's going to be down our throat!"

Alex frowned in response to the message. It was just one guy? Excluding himself, Alex didn't know of anyone that was capable of such a feat. Was this another one of Gentek's experiments gone wrong? One of their super soldiers had decided to go rouge against them?

If this super soldier was anything like the ones that Alex had gone up against in the past, then he needed to be on his guard. Physically, they weren't stronger than him, but that was only because Alex could lift a bus with one hand. These super soldiers were strong, fast, and almost indestructible. Even with his claws and sword, Alex still had trouble cutting through their genetically enhanced skin. Not enough to be a serious threat, but still enough to cause a problem if he was caught off guard. Luckily, there only seemed to be one.

Thinking quickly, Alex decided that since the facility was now on lockdown, he would eliminate the infected first. With the base buttoned up tight, PARIAH wasn't going anywhere. For now, Alex could focus on killing off the virus before it spread. There would be time to find PARIAH later.

Quickly leaving the lab, Alex sprinted down the halls, quickly drawing closer to the infected signatures. Scientists and soldiers ran this way and that around him to either secure their work or report to their commanders, none of them giving Alex a second glance with his soldier's appearance. He just hoped that this super soldier thing would distract Blackwatch long enough for him to see this through. He hadn't come this far just to fail on a quick detour from his mission.

In his ear, voices were shouting across all frequencies. Alex paid close attention as a status report was issued.

"Warden Actual, suspect has breached the lockdown! He's headed down the elevator shaft! He'll be inside the facility in a few seconds!"

"Copy that, Whiskey-Five. All units link up with your squads and cut off the suspect before it gets too far. Whiskey-Two is ordered to form a blockade at the entrance to the elevator shafts and cut off any escape attempts. No one is allowed in or out of the facility until further notice."

"Warden Actual!" came a frightened voice over the radio. "The suspect must _NOT_ be allowed to reach PARIAH! Years of research and development will be all for naught if we lose this specimen!"

"Noted, Dr. Hadley."

"Don't you 'noted, Dr. Hadley' me, you mongrel! Just because you're too stupid to see how dangerous this situation is does _not_ make it any less so!"

Alex let the radio noise fall into the background as he put on a burst of speed, running faster than any human was capable of. If the super soldier was now inside the facility, then that put the two of them inside a closed box with over one hundred infected and the child of Elizabeth Greene. The super solider had muscled his way down here for a reason, and Alex knew chances were slim to none that their interests were aligned.

Looking through his infected vision, Alex saw that he was almost to the infected containment area. Bursting through the last door, Alex found himself inside a massive chamber, only this time, it was lined with pens upon pens of infected. Both former humans and Hunters alike sat behind reinforced steel enclosures, and with the alarm blaring, the feral creatures had grown restless, now they were banging on the walls and boundaries of their cages with ferocity.

Dropping his soldier's disguise, Alex once again fell into that comfortable hooded form that he knew so well, and at his transformation, the infected in the nearby cages all began to grow more feral at the sight of him. They could see him just like he could see them, but that did not make them allies. The strand of Blacklight he carried was different, and it marked him as an enemy rather than a friend. Up ahead, Alex caught sight of a scientist running frantically towards him, the doctor's eyes darting back and forth across the rabid creatures in their cages. His eyes finally turned forward and noticed Alex for the first time, and relief spread across his features.

"Thank goodness! We must seal this area off before…"

The scientist's features suddenly morphed into an expression of horror, and he skidded to a stop and fell backward onto the floor, his now fearful gaze glued to Alex as he desperately tried to crawl backward and away from him.

"N-no, it can't be! You're…you're Alex Mercer!"

The mention of Alex's name seemed to stir the scientist into action again, and he quickly scrambled onto his feet and made to run away, but Alex was faster. Morphing his left arm into the weapon he commonly called his 'whipfist'. Alex shot a long and hardened tendril after the fleeing doctor. The tip of the tendril impaled the human through the chest, and he abruptly came to a stop and looked down in shock as the tentacle pierced through the other side. He began choking on his shredded lungs, and Alex was about to reel him back to consume him when the rear wall of the chamber exploded inward.

Alex paused and frowned at the sudden commotion as concrete and dust flew in every direction, the scientist's form momentarily forgotten, the body twitching twitching slightly as his life expired. Slowly the dust settled, and from the cloud emerged a figure covered from head to toe in a dark green suit of armor. The gear was nothing like the kind that Blackwatch wore, as its design was completely different. The figure's face was concealed behind an opaque visor, so Alex couldn't read whatever expression it was making behind its mask as they both sized each other up. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then the figure seemed to take note of Alex's extended whipfist and the now dead scientist at the end of it. Unbidden, Alex felt a chill down his spine, almost like an instinctual response that he was in danger.

The feeling proved to be warranted in the next second, as the figure suddenly produced an automatic rifle and opened fire on Alex. Bullets tore through his biomass, and Alex grunted in annoyance as he retracted his whipfist and dove out of the way. Standard weapons fire _did_ hurt him, but the figure was going to need a lot more than that to take him down.

Falling into a roll from his dive, Alex jumped back to his feet and thrust his whipfist towards the figure, the barbed tip shooting forward at a near blinding speed to impale the figure through the chest. Maybe it had drawn first blood, but Alex knew that there was only one way that this was going to end. It would die like every other foolish Blackwatch soldier that tried to kill him. This one would be no different.

The whipfist passed by the figure by no more than a few inches.

Alex's eyes widened in shock. It had dodged? How was that possible? The only thing that could have been fast enough was Hunters and…super soldiers.

That was it. This must have been the same super soldier that had triggered the alarm, but that answer only raised more questions. This one looked nothing like the super soldiers Alex had fought before. The ones he'd encountered in New York were much larger than this one, and they were geared up much differently. Perhaps this was some sort of new breed that he had never seen before.

Alex didn't have time to ponder much longer however, as the figure reached out and grabbed hold of the whipfist and wrenched backward, pulling Alex towards it with a strength that was far greater than any super soldier was capable of. Surprised, Alex was lifted from his feet as the stranger wrenched him forward. Whatever this guy was, might actually be as strong as Alex.

Narrowing his eyes, Alex decided it was time to test that theory. Morphing his other hand into his heavy hammerfist, Alex twirled with the momentum of the blow and swung the hardened limb to strike the figure on the side of his head. The figure raised its hand in response to block, and there was a loud crack as Alex's hardened punch clashed with the armor on the figure's arm. The force of the blow carried through, and though the figure stayed on his feet, the punch caused him to jolt sideways across the smooth floor and crash into the side of the containment chamber with a loud boom. Dust and debris flew everywhere from the impact, and Alex smirked. He had just hit that guy with enough force to destroy a tank, but his satisfied smile immediately dropped as he saw the figure emerge…completely unscathed. Its armor showed no signs of damage, and the figure itself did not appear to be injured in any way. Slowly, the figure lowered its raised block and tilted its visor downward towards Alex, who suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of rage emanating from within the armor. This was no super solider. Whatever this thing was, it was strong and durable…

…and now _very_ angry.

Alex narrowed his eyes and morphed his arm into a long and curved blade, one of his most powerful transformations. Things just got interesting.

…

Starnes sprinted down the hallway, alarms blaring through his helmet combining with the crackling voices screaming in his ear to make a chorus that really made his head hurt. How the hell did you turn down the volume on these things? Starnes kept running. He had orders to secure the infected specimens to make sure that they didn't breach containment, moving him up to first on the list of 'People Most Likely to Die Today'.

"Ah shit…"

As Starnes rounded another corner, he heard another Blackwatch soldier run up beside him.

"Hey brah!" came a semi-familiar voice from the new soldier. "You assigned to corral the infected, too?"

"Yeah man, gotta say though, I am not looking forward to it. Mortality rate for these kinds of orders tends not to be very high."

"Yo, wait a minute…I know your voice. You're that Starnes guy, right? Good shit, brah! I honestly thought you'd be more into seeing the infected with your bag-over-the-head-fetish thing…"

Starnes chuckled as the two of them continued to run.

"Nah, I already seen what most of the infected down here look like. None of 'em are my type. Almost enough to give me a reverse-boner, man!"

The soldier, or 'Brah-guy' as Starnes was beginning to refer to him as, chuckled behind the mask.

"Well, no worries, brah! We come out of this mission alive, I'll make sure we _both_ get some tonight!

Starnes smiled beneath his mask.

Oo-fucking-RAH to that brother! Let's contain some infected!"

With a whoop of excitement, the two of them burst through the final door and into the infected containment chamber, only to freeze immediately at the sight that lay in front of them.

The entire chamber looked like a bomb had gone off inside, or several maybe. Infected corpses were scattered everywhere while Hunters and former humans alike all screamed horrendously and tried to attack some guy that Starnes thought looked kinda familiar…

With a start, Starnes recognized the guy dressed in a leather jacket and hoodie. It was Alex Mercer, number one on Blackwatch's hitlist since New York and also the most powerful man on Earth. One of his arms was transformed into some kind of weird flesh-sword, and with a quick slash, Mercer decapitated a few of the infected before they got too close. Suddenly, another figure appeared from among the infected crowd donned in an armor that Starnes didn't recognize. As he watched dumbfoundedly, the figure pulled out a weapon that looked like it was from a sci-fi movie and pointed it at Alex Mercer, who had been momentarily distracted by the encroaching infected. The weapon spewed a stream of bright blue energy rounds from the end, and Starnes' eyes widened as the plasma burned through Mercer's flesh when it struck.

With a quick glance at each other, Starnes and Brah-guy slowly backed out of the chamber and back into the hallway they had just come from. The doors closed shut in front of them, but Starnes could still hear the enraged roars of infected and the clamor of carnage from beyond it.

"Maaaaaybe we could contain them from a little further down the hallway?" Starnes suggested.

"Sound good to me, brah!" the other soldier said hurriedly as they both turned on their heels and sprinted back the way they came.

…

Alex grit his teeth as he slashed through another infected. His ongoing battle with this strange super soldier had proven to be incredibly destructive to their environment, which had the effect of completely destroying the containment cages that the numerous infected were housed in. Those that weren't crushed by the heavy steel had thrown themselves at Alex in a desperate attempt to kill him. They knew he held a different strain of the same virus, but that had enraged them to the point of completely ignoring the super soldier to attack him. As if he didn't already have his hands full with the indestructible 'space marine' over there.

Alex dodged away as a Hunter swung at him with a massive claw, and he just barely had time to recover before he caught sight of the figure again. A new weapon was in his hands, and despite the intensity of the situation, Alex found himself perplexed. The weapon itself was rather small compared to the ones that this guy had already used on him, as it was only the size of a pistol, and was easily wielded by the super soldier as he brought it to bear on Alex. Catching a glimpse of the pistol's design, Alex saw that it looked very futuristic, similarly to that plasma rifle-thing that he had shot him with earlier, as it also glowed with a bright blue light. The plasma rifle had definitely hurt and burned when the soldier had fired it at Alex, but it hadn't been enough to bring him any serious injury. Sustained fire maybe could've caused concern, but the five-second burst had done nothing more than annoy Alex. His biomass was just too resilient to be brought down by something like that plasma rifle, and if this pistol was anything like that, then Alex foresaw no issue—

Alex was then momentarily blinded as a continuous beam of blazing blue light burst from the weapon. Squeezing his eyes shut, Alex had barely anytime to curse his temporary loss of eyesight before he felt an excruciating agony tear through his being. The pain spiderwebbed outward from his chest, and Alex cried out and crossed his arms in front of himself to help shield against the beam. Whatever that weapon was, it was powerful. In addition to an intense heat that was burning through his biomass much faster than the plasma weapon had, Alex could also feel something more, and it was far more potent than the heat from the beam. As Alex struggled against the force, his mind registered that whatever this weapon was, it wasn't just firing a superheated laser beam. There was something else it was doing to him, and for some reason, it made it feel like his body was ripping itself apart…

…

"By God's name, what is _happening_ down there?" Doctor Hadley whispered, his face a mask of incredulousness as he gazed at the readings he was getting from the infected containment chamber. Temperatures were rising to levels too hot for most humans to withstand, and the radiation…what on _Earth_?

The Geiger counter had overloaded merely a second after the radiation had appeared, but Doctor Hadley had examined the small amount of info and had discovered that nearly every type of radiation was present. Neutron emission, alpha and beta particles, even gamma…

The chamber was shielded against all forms of radiation, of course, as some of the experiments performed on the infected were radioactive in nature. But this amount…this sheer extent…radiation levels were increasing drastically even in containment chambers _nearby_. Whatever the source, it was as though a small nuclear bomb had gone off but had confined all of its radiation into one single room. Typing a few commands, Doctor Hadley activated the emergency shielding measures, sealing off the contaminated area and sending orders to response teams to begin boron pumping. If this wasn't handled, then the facility would be lost.

 _PARIAH_ would be lost.

…

Alex struggled to come up with a solution as the beam continued to slowly deconstruct him. The beam was attacking the virus within him, killing off the cells at the smallest level. He could feel it. His DNA was collapsing, and his fear only grew as he saw biomass begin to melt off of him. Small globs of 'skin' began to dribble off his arms, and with a quick glance to his side, Alex saw similar reactions in the remaining infected, their skin blistering and reddening in response to the beam's intensity.

Alex's stomach clenched as he then realized it. He had felt this pain before. It had been back in New York, when he had flown the nuke out to sea to save the city. He hadn't been able to escape the blast radius completely, and when it had gone off…

Radiation.

That's what was killing him. That weapon was firing radiation as well as its laser. He was at ground zero, and that radiation was destroying the virus's DNA, _his_ DNA. It was decimating it, annihilating it, even _corrupting_ it. The virus was vulnerable, and Alex realized that if he was going to make it out alive, he had to act now.

With an enraged scream, Alex pressed his hands into the beam and willed his biomass to shoot forward in a concentrated blast. His weakening body complied only with a herculean amount of effort, and hardened tendrils burst from his skin and pushed through the beam at devastating speeds. The radiation burned and dismantled some of the biomass, but Alex yelled and pushed harder against it. After what seemed like an eternity, a loud boom resounded throughout the chamber, and the bright light abruptly faded as the beam died away.

Nearly falling down onto one knee as the pain receded slightly, Alex noted that even though the beam was gone, there was still residual radiation inside the chamber. Remembering something he had learned in his biology class in college, Alex willed his outer skin to harden and morph into a thick, armored carapace.

Almost miraculously, the pain receded by a significant amount, the armored shell offering some protection from the effects of the radiation around him. Glancing around, Alex saw that nearly all of the infected had been obliterated by the weapon. In addition to being torn apart by the fight itself, the radiation that had followed had mangled many beyond recognition. Burned and melting skin was falling off the bodies almost as though it didn't fit anymore. Among the gruesome scene, only a few Hunters had managed to barely survive, though it looked like they could expire at any second. Alex quickly lashed out and consumed them in an effort to replenish the substantial amount of biomass that he had lost, but their irradiated bodies provided only a small amount of nourishment to him. On top of that, his body almost refused to obey him. He was sending the signals for his muscles to move, but it was like the connection was weak. Delayed, even. That radiation had attacked the virus at the smallest level possible, and if Alex hadn't stopped the beam at the last second…he hesitated to even think about how much longer he would've lasted.

Looking back to where the soldier had been, Alex saw no trace of him. Surely his concentrated tendril attack had torn him apart, right? Not even the Supreme Hunter had been able to survive that move without nearly being torn in half. And this super soldier certainly couldn't be as sturdy as—

A pile of rubble erupted from the far side of the chamber, and Alex stared incredulously as the figure emerged, almost unscathed.

 _Almost…_

The green armor that the figure wore had finally yielded, as multiple dents and scratches peppered the chest plate and arms. On top of that, some of the dark green finish had been sheered away, giving the armor a now well-used look. And the visor…

The visor was _cracked_.

As the figure faced Alex once more, he was able to see that one long crack ran from the top to the bottom of the visor, giving a noticeable blemish to the once unmarred surface. The crack was slightly off-center, looking like it was directly over where one of the eyes would be.

Despite being able to tank one of his strongest attacks, Alex should have felt a sense of accomplishment at seeing the figure undergo damage like this. If it bled, then he could kill it. He should have been invigorated by seeing his opponent worn down.

So why did he feel like he had just made a _huge_ mistake?

The figure's fists clenched once more at his sides, and Alex narrowed his gaze as the figure slowly reached behind himself, likely for another weapon. If the figure chose to fire that radiation gun again, Alex could at least defend now, as his carapace armor protected him from the radiation, and it would be enough for him to land another blow if he needed it. Despite the sluggishness of his body, Alex still could move at least. Even if he couldn't transform as easily now, he still had his armor, which was strong enough to survive tank rounds, missile blasts, gunfire, nearly everything. And unlike the figure's, it wasn't already damaged. The question was, whose was going to give out first?

The figure brought his hand back, and Alex frowned in confusion once more as he stared at what seemed to be a red ball of flaming energy clenched tightly in his fist. It looked like a palm-sized fireball sitting in the figure's gauntleted hand, and before Alex could speculate further, the figure crushed the ball completely.

Despite the blazing temperatures already inside the containment chamber, it suddenly seemed to grow even hotter as the red flaming energy surged across the figure's armor until he was completely coated in it. Suddenly, the mood shifted, and Alex became eerily aware of the fact that this new heat was emanating from the armored figure himself. The heat wasn't just intense, it was _forceful_ , like a strong wind was pushing Alex backward at the same time. In spite of the heat, Alex almost shivered.

For a moment, everything was still, and then the figure _erupted_ , charging at Alex at a speed that was almost too fast to follow. No weapon was in his hands, but that did little to make him less intimidating as Alex's eyes widened in shock. There was no time to react before the figure was upon him, and the next thing Alex registered was the sound of his armor groaning as the figure punched him with enough force to shatter several feet of concrete. Alex's armor held against the blow, but it was only thanks to the immense weight of his biomass that he didn't go sailing through the opposite wall of the containment chamber. Instead, he skidded backward a few yards, and he only just had time to recover before the figure was upon him again.

Alex threw his arm forward in a punch of his own to intercept, but the figure batted it away as though it was an insect and delivered an uppercut directly under Alex's chin. Alex staggered backward from the sheer power of the blow and grunted as the figure swung for him again.

How had he become so overwhelmingly strong all of a sudden? What did that red orb _do_ to him?

 _'Damnit!'_ Alex thought as he struggled to defend against the barrage of punches that came his way. If he had been at full strength, he might have been able to defend and even counter against this sudden juggernaut-like power, but that radioactive beam had hurt him more than he had previously thought. He felt sluggish from the residual radiation, on top of his damaged transformation power, his stamina was fading. On top of that, his mobility was limited even further by his armored carapace. He needed time to regroup, to recover, but the figure obviously had no intention of giving him it. He found himself overtly reliant on his nigh impenetrable armor, and that _should_ have been enough. He had withstood _thousands_ of impacts in this armor before, so he should've been able to shrug off the fists of an average height human. Unfortunately for him, Alex was learning all to quickly that whatever was under that armor was anything _but_ human. Each blow that it threw against him rattled his armor to the core, and its speed was on par if not slightly faster than Alex's after he'd absorbed that red ball. Alex was successfully able to dodge some of the blindingly fast punches that he threw, but more and more glancing blows landed against his armor, and he could feel the impacts wearing him down faster than anything else had before.

His mind racing, Alex realized that if he dropped his armor now, he could trade the protection for speed, and he might have been able to retreat a certain distance and regroup, but he ran the risk of getting punched without the added protection, which was a scenario that Alex was not entirely sure he would walk away from. But if he continued to just stand there and hold his ground, that might just happen anyway. He had to try _something_.

Alex quickly reached his decision and was just about to make his move when the figure suddenly kicked his legs out from beneath him, toppling his carapaced form hard into the floor below. Alex immediately moved to get away, but the figure was too fast. Straddling him, the figure began raining blow after devastating blow down onto Alex's prone form, this time leaving him no room to dodge as the blows pounded upon him like a meteor shower. Each hit felt like like an earthquake through his body, and Alex grunted in pain as the impacts resounded throughout his form. Alex heard a loud crack, and he became horrifically aware that his armor was now compromised. He tried to refresh it once more, but the figure had other plans. Grabbing him by his neck and holding him against the floor, the figure thrust his other gauntleted hand forward and grabbed the 'face plate' of Alex's chitinous form. Alex grabbed at both of the figure's wrists and struggled to pry them away, but the stranger's intense grip held him like a vise. Slowly, the figure began to crush Alex's faceplate with his fingers, and he saw a spiderweb of cracks appear in his faceplate as the chitin yielded to the armored figure's grip strength. The cracks propagated even further and further, more light spilling into his helmet, until finally, Alex's faceplate shattered, exposing him to the stranger and the radiation once more.

Alex desperately tried to do something…anything…but his body refused to listen. The virus inside him was not responding, and all he could do was helplessly watch as the figure drew his arm back into a tightly closed fist with the other still holding him by the neck against the floor.

This was it.

Only now did Alex realize that he was going to die here. The punch itself wouldn't kill him, of course, as he was capable of surviving even if his head came off, but the figure would no doubt realize that as well. And with a punch like what he had dished out so far, there was no doubt that he'd do enough damage incapacitate Alex until he could finish him off. Any way Alex tried to spin this, each outcome was the same. His retribution had arrived at last, both for his sins and the sins of his past life.

Briefly, his mind flitted to Dana, his sister, who was still back in New York. When she had learned that he was going to search for more answers, she had told him to be careful, and to his credit, he thought he had been. He'd thought he had anticipated every possible contingency and could find a way out of it, but who could anticipate _this_? This… _monster_.

Whatever, it didn't matter now. None of it did. Not in a few seconds anyway.

To Alex's surprise, the figure suddenly turned his head slightly, as though he was listening to something. Alex tried to find the energy to be confused but couldn't. He couldn't even see straight at the moment. For a few seconds, the figure listened to whatever he was hearing, then he looked back down at Alex as though he was examining him. There was a brief moment of tense silence, then the figure almost begrudgingly stood up, releasing Alex as he did so. His movements seemed hesitant, as though he wanted nothing more to pummel Alex into a pulp at the moment. Then the red aura weaving through his armor faded, and the temperature in the chamber cooled slightly.

Alex eyed the stranger wearily, then remembered that the radiation was still prevalent in this room. Focusing hard, Alex remorphed his face plate over his features, and immediately he felt relief once more as the radiation was held at bay.

Above him, the figure stepped back to allow Alex a chance to stand, and after gazing warily at him for a moment, Alex slowly got to his feet. Meeting the gaze of the cracked visor, the two of them stared at each other for a long moment, then Alex heard a voice emerge from within the suit.

"Alex Mercer," the voice said in a tone that was way too polite for the given situation. "I believe that we may be able to resolve this conflict in a way that benefits us both."

…

Starnes tactically looked around the corner as him and Brah-guy made their way back to their regroup point. Whatever had happened inside that chamber, Starnes could be fairly certain that no infected had survived. Alex Mercer may have, but he wasn't really in the mission parameters, so they could call it a success.

"Sweetness, brah! Mission complete, right?" Brah-guy said from beside him.

"With you 100% there, dude. Now let's get the hell back to the regroup point. I'm definitely not sticking around to see if Mercer survived that."

"Whoa, brah… _That_ was Alex Mercer? Holy fuck, what's he doing all the way out here?!"

"No idea, but the guy has always had beef with Gentek, so I guess it makes sense."

"Damn, we gotta get the hell away from here, brah. I don't think my insurance covers being torn apart by a virally-enhanced super human."

Starnes was about to say more when his radio flared to life again.

"Whiskey-Three, report in. This is Warden Actual."

That was for them. Starnes shared a quick glance with Brah-guy and activated his radio.

"Warden Actual, Whiskey-Three here. Whatcha' got?"

"Whiskey-Three, you are now assigned to link up with Whiskey-Two and Whiskey-Four and form a blockade around specimen PARIAH. Nothing is to get in or out, and lethal force is authorized."

Starnes saw Brah-guy slump his shoulders at the news.

"Shit, brah. Looks like we ain't outta the woods yet."

Starnes begrudgingly nodded.

…

Alex listened warily as the voice inside the suit explained what was happening. Apparently, the voice was called VEGA, but he was merely an A.I. that was housed inside the suit's systems. The entity actually standing before him was called the Doom Slayer. They had apparently come from an alternate reality, one where Gentek and the Blacklight Virus didn't exist, and had only arrived in this universe less than an hour ago. Apparently, they had been making random jumps across alternate realities in an attempt to return to their own. They had no control over which dimension they arrived in each time they jumped, so it remained a test of trial and error each time they did so.

Alex was quick to call bullshit on their claims, but VEGA's only response to his skepticism was that his belief or disbelief did not matter. As they had not come to this facility with the intention of convincing him of their origins. They had arrived in this reality at a point roughly three miles from the facility and had infiltrated it because VEGA had received some anomalous readings from within. Though Alex had been one of those readings, the two of them still needed to find another that was located within the heart of the complex.

' _Likely PARIAH,_ ' Alex thought. He didn't offer any information to the Slayer or VEGA, however, as he still had no way to know if they could be trusted. He supposed that the Doom Slayer _had_ opted not to kill him just now…

"If I may be frank, Alex Mercer," VEGA said, the A.I.'s voice never straying from the calm tone he had used since starting the conversation. "Under different circumstances, I may not have deemed it necessary to request that the Doom Slayer spare you. Delving into numerous accounts of the events that transpired in New York, I have discovered that you often conduct yourself with little regard to possible collateral damage."

"Just what the hell are you accusing me of?" Alex challenged with a sneer.

"Though your agenda against the Gentek Corporation and Blackwatch is justified, your methods do not account for civilian casualties," VEGA replied calmly. "In numerous instances, I have noticed that you willingly sacrificed innocent lives to accomplish your goals."

"Yeah?" Alex countered, half-stepping forward with his chin raised. "Was that before or after I saved the whole damn city from nuclear annihilation?"

"The footage I have analyzed shows instances of negligent civilian casualties both before and after that event."

Alex's face contorted angrily at the A.I.'s words. Gentek and Blackwatch had been performing experiments on innocent people that were far worse than anything he'd done, and this glorified calculator was calling _him_ out?

"So why not let your lapdog kill me then?" he spat in contempt towards the Doom Slayer. "If I'm really the bad guy here, why not just take me out? Make the world a better place? Get rid of the scum?"

The Doom Slayer eyed Alex angrily from behind his visor, the crack down the mask only making his appearance all the more intimidating. He seemed eager to hear VEGA's reasoning as well, as his body language still suggested that he wanted to rip Alex to pieces at the moment.

"Though you are not without your faults, Alex Mercer, you still possess a high degree of morality compared to that of Gentek and Blackwatch," VEGA replied. "Given your deeds in the past, I have concluded that you believe the ends justify the means. While this mindset is not ideal, it is enough to give us reason to be temporarily allied."

Alex glared back confusedly.

"Temporarily allied for _what_?"

…

Alex followed somewhat begrudgingly as the Doom Slayer led the way through the hallways and deeper into the facility, likely following the anomalous readings and leading them closer to where PARIAH was being held. VEGA had remotely hacked into the facility's security system, negating the need for force to pry open any restricted doors. For a while, neither of them spoke, but after a brief moment of consideration, Alex swallowed the foul taste in his mouth and addressed the two of them.

"What exactly do you two know about PARIAH?" he asked. If VEGA was really inside the systems on this base, then the A.I. had definitely come across _something_ related to the kid.

"Records indicate that Subject PARIAH is a highly coveted asset to Gentek," VEGA replied from within the Slayer's armor. "It is the only child of Elizabeth Greene and was birthed shortly after her infection with the Redlight virus in 1969. After the mother and child were separated, PARIAH was initially transferred to Vandenberg, California for further testing, but was moved here after the risk of escape grew too great. Like Elizabeth Greene, Subject PARIAH appears to possess a decelerated aging process, its body retaining the appearance of an 8-year-old child despite its current age of forty years old."

Alex listened intently as VEGA continued. So far, the A.I. had only restated what he already knew, but it was not yet done talking.

"Further information proved relatively difficult to obtain during my scan of Blackwatch's database, but I have uncovered several experimental logs with PARIAH as the main test subject."

"What kind of experiments?"

"Most appear to be trials of physicality. Their likely goal was to discern more information about PARIAH's superhuman abilites."

"And…?"

"Cross-referencing the footage from New York with the results of these experimental logs, I conclude that PARIAH is on par with you in terms of strength, speed, and agility if not slightly superior. Its body also possesses all of the same transformative features that yours does, Alex Mercer."

Alex was stunned, and he nearly stopped walking in the middle of the hallway. PARIAH was…just like him? Did it carry the same strand of virus that he did? Questions swam through Alex's mind as he tried to make sense out of it all, but one stood out more than all the others.

"You told me that only _most_ of the experiments were about that, VEGA. What about the others?"

"The other experiments conducted on PARIAH are to discern its genetic nature, as Gentek is still inconclusive in their findings to truly decipher it."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Despite the similarities between you and PARIAH, Alex Mercer, there exist a few significant differences. Perhaps the most perplexing to Gentek is that PARIAH has tested negative for every strain of the Redlight virus that Elizabeth Greene was infected with at the time of birth. In fact, PARIAH has proven immune to every form of pathogen that has been introduced on it. The logs detail trials with each of the five main pathogenic types, but PARIAH's immune system has effectively neutralized them within hours of infection."

This time, Alex stopped walking out of sheer shock.

"You mean to tell me that this kid can do everything I can, and it doesn't even have the virus inside it?!"

"That is correct, Alex Mercer."

Alex stood stunned for a few moments in the hallway, digesting this information as best as he could. How was any of this even possible? Brief flashes of memory came into his mind from another life, and Alex remembered a small fragment of information that the old Alex had learned from studying the virus.

 _Human DNA could be split into two categories: coding and non-coding. Coding DNA was imperative, as it held the information necessary for synthesizing proteins within the human body. Non-coding DNA, which accounted for most of the DNA on within a human body, did not do that. For a long time, science had considered the non-coding portion of the human DNA to be worthless, or "junk" DNA. Of course, relatively recent discoveries had proven those claims to be false, but they had only just scratched the surface of what the non-coding DNA was capable of. With the creation of the Redlight virus, humanity had accidentally tapped into the potential of those strains with the successful genesis of Elizabeth Green._

 _She had been the first success of the virus, as only her DNA had been compatible with it. The virus itself targeted those non-coding sections of DNA and had unlocked the hidden potential that every human innately carried. It had given Greene superhuman abilities, made her resistant to other forms of disease and infection, and had virtually made her immortal. It had been perfect._

 _It had been almost poetic to the scientists studying its effects. The initial objective of the Redlight project was to design a bioweapon that could target specific racial types, but instead, they had stumbled upon a catalyst of human evolution on the grandest scale. No doubt they had been eager to continue on this new path they discovered._

 _But Greene had been a one in a million case, as any DNA that wasn't compatible was vilely corrupted by exposure to Redlight. It needed work. They needed a virus that could work on all humans, not just a very special case. So, they began the Blacklight project with the old Alex Mercer at the head, hoping to pioneer a new viral strain that could affect everyone the same way. With power like that in their hands, they'd be unstoppable. Imagine the power you could wield with ten Elizabeth Greenes..._

 _And so, the old Alex Mercer had worked tirelessly to perfect the virus, devoting his entire life to it, even. And though Alex had never been able to perfect the consistency of the virus, he had been able to improve upon it. The original Redlight virus was potent, but it had only been able to partially tap into the potential of the non-coded DNA. Blacklight, on the other hand, had been able to completely open the floodgates, creating a much stronger and more resilient specimen. But the virus only artificially did such a thing, if something like that were to occur naturally…_

The sudden realization wrenched Alex from the memory, bringing him back into the hallway with the Doom Slayer. He looked up at his former foe, then slowly nodded his head in understanding.

"PARIAH and I…we're so similar because the exact same thing happened to us. The non-coding regions of our genes, they've both been unleashed. For me, it was through Blacklight. For PARIAH it was through Elizabeth Greene…"

Alex trailed off.

"I have reached the same conclusion, Alex Mercer. While your evolution was artificially stimulated by the Blacklight virus, PARIAH's was naturally stimulated by the transference of the affected genes through Elizabeth Green's pregnancy. She did not transfer the virus, but rather, the results of the virus: the evolved human genome. Because it was introduced during pregnancy, the DNA strains were more impressionable, and the entirety of the non-coding portions were affected as a result."

"That's why PARIAH is so damn important to them," Alex growled. "It's the first instance of an evolved human without the use of the virus. If they can isolate the results, they can evolve anyone they want without worry of creating more infected. They could conquer the whole planet!"

He glanced over to the Doom Slayer as he said it, and Alex saw that the armored figure seemed to share in his anger.

"We have to get to PARIAH and put a stop to this," Alex growled. "How close are we?"

At the end of the hall, VEGA remotely opened another door in response, and Alex and the Doom Slayer hastened through, both moving quickly in response to the newfound gravity of the situation.

…

Starnes and Brah-guy stood idly, the massive reinforced door to PARIAH's containment chamber behind them. The alarms still blared throughout the facility, and if Starnes was being honest, he was almost becoming used to the rhythmic drone that sounded every second or so. In fact, he had just started tapping his foot and humming a tune along with the beat of the alarm when another Blackwatch soldier rounded the corner and made his way to them. Starnes immediately recognized the officer's rank on his shoulder, and both he and Brah-guy straightened a bit as the officer arrived.

"Afternoon, sir," Starnes said, adjusting the weight of his rifle. "They send you here to support?"

The officer glared at him before shaking his head angrily.

"Oh for the love of…you have got to be shitting me, Starnes!"

Brah-guy spoke up next to them.

"Oh shit, brah! You're the officer from the elevator! What are the odds we all get sent to the same guard point for PARIAH?"

"Oh, and you too?!" the officer said looking at Brah-guy. "You know what? Fuck this! You two, go find some other point. I am not gonna sit here until this lockdown shit is over with you two fuck faces!

Starnes wasn't really bothered by the officer's insults, as he had grown used to it in New York. Brah-guy spoke up again.

"You sure, brah? Guarding a point by yourself is not the best idea. Especially if Alex Mercer is running around down here!"

"Shut it! Fucking Godzilla could be down here, and I still wouldn't put up with you two. Now get out of my sight. That's an order!"

Starnes shared a glace with Brah-guy, then shrugged.

"Yes sir," he said, adjusting his rifle in his hands and starting back down the hallway. Brah-guy fell in beside him.

The officer watched the two of them disappear through the door at the end of the hallway, then shook his head angrily.

"Fucking morons…" he muttered.

He suddenly heard footsteps approaching, and he angrily snapped his head up.

"God damnit, Starnes! What did I just-?"

His angered voice suddenly became choked as Alex Mercer appeared in his vision stabbed him through the chest.

…

Alex felt a sense of relief as he began the process of consuming the soldier. So much of his biomass had been destroyed or irradiated during his fight with the Doom Slayer, and it felt good to finally consume something that wasn't leaking gamma rays. Alex's relief was short-lived however as he felt the soldier's memories flash from behind his eyelids. Alex shuddered for a brief second, then was brought back to the present. The Doom Slayer watched him for a moment, then approached the door without saying a word.

Alex watched him, then followed, the two of them coming to a stop in front of a massive reinforced door. There was a moment of silence.

PARIAH as just beyond. Alex could feel it. After everything that happened, they were finally here at last.

There was a deep rumble, then the heavy door slowly began to open under VEGA's command.

"Alex Mercer," the A.I. began. "I believe you will soon see why I felt it necessary to keep you alive."

Alex glanced over to the Slayer, then set his gaze on the door as it opened farther.

"Alright VEGA, let's see what you got."

On cue, the doors slid all the way open at last, and the two of them stepped forward into a circular chamber. The first thing Alex noticed was that the long circular wall was adorned with an army of machines, each one showcasing a myriad of dials and readouts that all conveyed some form of data. The machines were all state-of-the art, and Alex could see that Gentek had spared no expense in acquiring them.

As Alex took in the scene, his gaze then fell onto the center of the chamber, where a massive glass cylinder almost as tall as the ceiling sat.

Inside, Alex could see the form of a child suspended in some sort of orange fluid. The child was completely naked, and it seemed to be unconscious. A splay of wires and tubes were connected to the child's inert form as well, likely connecting it to the machines surrounding the container.

It was PARIAH.

It had to be.

Seeing it with his own eyes, Alex felt a sense of weightlessness for a moment. It was as though he was sleepwalking. He almost couldn't believe it. This child was evolved like him, but it didn't have any form of pathogen enhancing its DNA. It was doing it all naturally.

For a moment, Alex's mind flashed to the realization of what this meant for humanity. The DNA of this child was perfect: maximum physicality, able to rearrange its form on command, and nigh immortal. If this child were to produce offspring of its own, it would usher in a new era of superhumans, all immune to every known disease and pathogen on the planet. The perfect society…

And it all started here…

Alex was brought back from his thoughts as he focused on PARIAH again. The small child had its body curled into itself almost protectively, and in that moment, Alex suddenly felt something within his chest. The feeling was somewhat warm, but it was something that Alex himself had rarely felt before. Maybe there was a fragment of a memory somewhere of the old Alex's that explained what this feeling was, but the Alex of now didn't know. He briefly glanced over to see the Doom Slayer looking at him.

Shit, he'd noticed. Alex didn't know how the Slayer could 'see' his feelings, but he still did. And somehow, Alex knew that the Slayer knew that PARIAH was the source. The Doom Slayer then seemed to relax a small amount, his fists unclenching from his sides and his shoulders falling slightly. Alex had not expected such a sudden change of demeanor, prompting him to stare for a moment. The Slayer's incredibly damaged armor still made him look like a war machine, but for the briefest of moments, Alex considered that maybe there _was_ a human under there and not some rage fueled revenant. It was…interesting to see. Alex shook his head. He knew what was coming next.

"VEGA, just what are you planning for the kid?"

"I believe that we all know that it is not up to me, Alex Mercer."

Alex sighed, feeling a weight settle on himat VEGA's words. Alex couldn't tell if the weight was good or bad yet, but he'd likely know for sure within the next few minutes.

"You think I can look after it, don't you?"

"I am certain that you are the only one who can."

Alex shook his head. He wanted to step back, to deny the hesitant frightfully warm sensation he felt inside him when he looked at the kid, but he couldn't, and he knew he couldn't, and VEGA and the Doom Slayer both knew it too.

"I'm not a fucking babysitter," Alex said, morphing his arm into his sword with a small bit of effort and showing it to the them. "Not when every fucking thing I can do is geared towards destruction."

"I'm afraid your reasoning is flawed, Alex Mercer," VEGA replied politely. "Your biomass can alter itself into any form you see fit. It can offer great expediency in construction scenarios—"

"That's not what I meant," Alex growled forcefully, surprising himself with his sudden outburst. He glanced warily to see how the Slayer would respond, but to his surprise, the figure hadn't tensed up at all. He was just watching him, waiting for Alex to speak, his expression completely unreadable behind the cracked visor.

"Look," Alex said, taking a deep breath. "I'm no good with this kind of thing. I can't feed it, I can't teach it good manners, and I definitely can't protect it. Not from them…"

"You are again incorrect, Alex Mercer," was VEGA's response. "You are quite capable…"

The Doom Slayer immediately raised a hand, and VEGA suddenly stopped speaking. Alex was taken aback as the Slayer slowly lowered his hand as though he had something to say. Strolling over to one of the terminals, the armored man began typing out a few commands. Alex squinted and drew closer, and it looked like the Slayer was looking through the database for a specific file. Alex was about to ask what he was looking for when a sudden image appeared on the screen. Alex recognized it. It was a closeup of his sister's face, Dana Mercer. Alex recognized her shortly cropped hair and similar features, and he confusedly looked over at the Doom Slayer, who pointed to the screen, then to Alex and PARIAH.

Alex then understood.

"No way," he said with a shake of his head. "There's no way I'm involving her in this. We have no idea if this kid is even friendly or not, and bringing it to her would put them both in way too much danger."

 _Them both…?_

Alex frowned. Why the hell did he suddenly care so much about this kid? Had the radiation screwed with him somehow?

Alex turned away from the Doom Slayer and shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. There was no way in hell he wanted to take care of this kid. He _couldn't_ protect this kid, fuck…he couldn't even protect himself! Alex thought back to how the Doom Slayer had wiped the floor with him not ten minutes ago. What if the kid couldn't be controlled? What if it wanted to hurt people? What if Alex accidentally _made_ it want to hurt people? No. He couldn't do this. He couldn't allow himself to corrupt that kid. He couldn't be strong enough. He couldn't…

Alex jolted when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking back, Alex saw the Doom Slayer looking at him as steadily as he always did. And yet, with the man's armored hand on his shoulder, Alex couldn't help but feel a small sense of calm come over him. It was almost as though the Doom Slayer's mere presence was enough to give him some reassurance.

"If I may," came VEGA's voice. "The Doom Slayer is not suggesting that you take PARIAH to sister, Alex Mercer. He is only suggesting that she would make a viable person to turn to for advice. Though the child is indeed much more than a human, it is still a child. Dana Mercer may be able to assist you in this regard."

Alex hesitated, still not entirely convinced.

"But it is as I said," VEGA continued. "This choice is not ours to make."

There was a beat of silence. Alex looked at the Doom Slayer, suddenly seeing the armored juggernaut in a whole new light. Whatever this guy was, it didn't matter now. Alex knew that the two of them were far more alike than they were different. For the longest time, they'd been trying to save lives that were endangered by those with power. In many cases, they'd been the only ones strong enough to undo the damage that had been done to their world. And every time they finally began to pick up the pieces, someone shattered everything all over again.

But this time…this time things had the chance to be different. This time Alex didn't have to erase Gentek's mistakes. Now, he had the chance to turn it into something better, a chance to flip the script, a chance to take what was corrupted and purify it. And maybe, just maybe, he could purify himself too.

Turning his head to the container and gazing at the child within, Alex let out a deep breath.

"You got a way to get this thing open?"

…

Starnes sighed and sat back against a large pallet of medical supplies, finally getting the chance to sit down at last after being on his feet for the last six hours straight. Brah-guy grunted as he sat down beside him, a few profanities escaping from the muffling of his mask.

After a moment, Brah-guy let out a tired chuckle.

"Damn, brah. I know I promised to get us laid tonight, but I don't I've even got the strength to get the little guy up after today."

Starnes laughed.

"Same story here, brother. People say I've got the lowest standards they've ever seen, but I'd turn down even the hottest of models right now."

"Really?"

"…nah."

The two of them grunted humorously, and Starnes thought back to everything that had happened that day. Both him and Brah-guy had been forced to remain on duty after the breach. Apparently, Alex Mercer had escaped the facility with PARIAH in tow, and now all of the Gentek eggheads were losing their minds. Now that their favorite lab rat was gone, they were all frantically trying to salvage what little research was left. Apparently when Alex Mercer had departed, he had also spared no expense in completely destroying all of their virus specimens and lab work. On top of that, some unknown entity had hacked into their databases and had wiped clean every single shred of research and data they had on the Blacklight virus.

Just like that, those nerds were back to square one. Starnes almost felt bad for them, but if he was being honest, he was a bit relieved. All of his time in Blackwatch had been spent looking after those pocket-protector-wearing losers, but now that all their research was gone, maybe he'd get transferred somewhere cool like North Korea or the Middle East…

"Yo, brah. Whatever happened to that super solider that broke in right after Mercer did?"

"You didn't hear?" Starnes said, looking over to his new partner-in-crime. "Him and Mercer were working together. Whiskey two said the two of them left the facility together. Apparently is was like a hurricane of destruction on their way out."

"Damn, first New York and now out here? Small world, huh brah?"

"Yeah," Starnes said, tilting his head back against the pallet with a sigh.

"Seems like it just keeps getting smaller…"

 _ **A/N: And scene! If any are confused about a few things, let me clear up a spot or two: the radioactive pistol is actually the starting plasma pistol from DOOM (2016), but those who have read the SCP chapter know that our beloved Doom Slayer popped it into SCP-914 and gave it a serious upgrade, giving it its intense heat and radioactivity! Speaking of the SCP chapter, I heard the link wasn't working anymore, so I changed the format a bit. Hopefully it works now! I apologize to any who couldn't access it!**_

 _ **As for the setting of this chapter, I thought long and hard about where in Prototype I wanted to put the Slayer, and at first, I thought Prototype 2 was the obvious choice. Having the Doom Slayer team up with James Heller to take down an evil Alex Mercer sounds awesome right? But then I realized that I didn't want that! I didn't want Heller (even though I like him a lot), I wanted Alex! (Prototype 1 Alex to be specific because there is a pretty big difference haha!) And then I realized that the Prototype series never really wrapped up the whole PARIAH story, so I figured I'd do it in my own way!**_

 _ **As always, make sure to let me know how much you loved/hated the chapter by leaving a review! I always love hearing from you guys! As of this chapter being posted, there is only one week left until the release of DOOM Eternal! Mad hype folks! See you all next time!**_

 _ **-ImpulsiveWeaver**_

 _ **P.S. I didn't realize until after the fact, but it's a bit ironic that I write about Prototype with its viruses and infected populations right in the midst of the Coronavirus in the real world. Pretty funny, huh?**_


	28. God of War

**_A/N: Yes indeed! It is me! I am back and ready for more! Please enjoy! I own nothing!_**

 ** _..._**

Freya moved about her abode with a solemn intensity, gathering essentials that she deemed necessary for her journey. She was alone in her small home, and despite that being commonplace in the past, the silence now threatened to swallow her whole. She had wept this morning, just as she had the morning before, and the morning before that. She had wept every morning for nearly the past week, ever since Baldur…

Freya stopped by her shelf of herbs and placed a hand on the wall for support, afraid that the sudden wave of grief accompanying his name would cause her to collapse. Her breathing became labored, and fresh tears began to form in her eyes as memories of that day came rushing back to her. That man…that _monster_ …had taken her most prized possession from her, even ordering his own offspring to assist him in killing hers. Freya closed her eyes as the scene played in her mind once more.

…

 _She couldn't breathe._

 _She couldn't breathe, and her vision was fading._

 _She was dying._

 _He was killing her._

 _She knew that at least._

 _But it was alright._

 _It was alright because she was letting him do it. If this was what it took to make him whole, then she was willing to die. She would die a thousand times over for him. He was her son, the brightest light remaining in her abysmal life. And if she died, she would do so knowing that he was still alive. That alone gave her comfort as he strangled the life from her._

 _"I lo—I…love…you," she managed to choke out as she closed her eyes. It was alright._

 _Suddenly, her lungs filled with air, bringing her a combination of relief and confusion. Had he released her? Had he forgiven her? A small flame of hope ignited in her chest at the thought, and she cracked open her eyes in the hope of seeing the light of a son's forgiveness. What she saw instead filled her with horror as Baldur's struggling form was held back by the man that had nearly killed him mere moments ago. It had only been by her pleading that he had stayed his blades, but gazing upon his ashen form now, Freya could see that his intent had returned. There was no stopping him this time._

 _"Why…? Why do you even care?" Baldur choked out as the man's massive arm forced his airway shut. "You could've…walked away!"_

 _"The cycle ends here," Kratos said bitterly. Freya's vision was still bleary, but a look at Kratos's face told a story of grim resolution, as though he knew what had to be done but regretted it all the same._

 _"We must be better than this."_

 _His hands moved then, and a loud crack echoed throughout the landscape. Freya would've screamed if not for her injuries as her son's body collapsed to the ground, his neck broken._

 _"Snow…"_

 _…_

Freya's eyes snapped open, emerging from the painful memory. It burned within her, but in a way, she was thankful that it did. That had been the final sin, and now the seeds of vengeance had taken root within her. Vengeance against Odin, vengeance against the Aesir, and especially vengeance against the man that had taken her son from her. Her entire life, Freya had been forced to give up everything that she held dear: her home…her people…her own flesh and blood…

Now, there was nothing left. There was nothing more that Freya had, and after all this time, she decided that payment was due.

And yet, despite the storm that raged within her, Freya remembered the young boy, Atreus. He couldn't have been older than twelve winters, and she still held a resolute memory at the way he had looked at her. She recalled how she had found comfort in his innocent smile, and how his deep blue eyes reminded her so much of Baldur's when he was at that age. The boy had been the one to stop his father when he had nearly killed Baldur the first time, and it had been at his frightened alarm that Kratos had saved Freya's life at the expense of her son.

In the short time that she had known him, Freya had allowed herself to find a small sense of peace when she was with the boy. Her _own_ son had rejected her long ago, and though she knew it was ridiculous, she had fantasized about atoning for her mistakes and starting anew with Atreus. Though she knew that she could never be the boy's true mother, she had seen how she partially filled the gaping hole in his heart, and how he in turn filled the hole in hers. And even through her grief as she carried Baldur's dead body away, she had seen how distraught he had been at seeing her rage against him.

Freya closed her eyes once more as the conflicting emotions whirled about within her. She knew that she could never forgive Kratos for taking her son from her, but a small voice persistently reminded her that he had given Baldur a chance to walk away. That same small voice also insisted that he would've been forced to kill Baldur eventually, as it was likely the unstable god would not have abandoned his quest to see them dead. And even still, the image of him speaking so sincerely with his son about what it meant to be a god refused to be banished. Freya squeezed her eyes shut even further and let her head fall into her hands, desperately willing her erratic thoughts to wane.

Suddenly, the woods began to shift restlessly. The animals, the plants, even the wind itself began to move about, as though they were warning of some extreme danger. In shock, Freya opened her eyes and listened hard to what they had to say, but their message made no sense to her. They seemed to speak of a threat, a vile plague of sorts. Something coming to Midgard from a realm beyond. Freya struggled to make out what realm it was that the threat originated from, but the words used to describe it matched no realm that Freya knew of. At first, Freya thought she heard the name 'Hel', but the woods were not speaking of the Hel she knew. Their description was alien to her.

Freya shook her head in confusion and tried to listen further, but she suddenly felt the fabric of Midgard tear apart through her magic, the barrier between the nine realms suddenly shearing and letting in a dark and ominous force that chilled Freya to the bone. The woods screamed in response, sharing in the agony of the barrier between worlds as it was torn away. She stood frozen for a moment, then hurriedly began to gather her things once more. Whatever had just forced its way into Midgard, it was not friendly, and though Freya knew that it was not near her home at the moment, that it would likely not be satisfied until it consumed the entire realm. She had to move.

 _Now_.

…

Kratos heard Mimir gasp at his hip, but no clarification was needed. He had felt it too. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. A glance down to Atreus showed that the boy had felt it too. Something this potent was nearly impossible to miss.

"What was that?" Atreus asked nervously, looking around and scouting for any enemies that may have been nearby.

"Nothing good, I'm afraid," Mimir said ominously.

"This is the threat you spoke of before, head?" Kratos asked. "From the realm between realms?"

"Yes," Mimir said. "But now that it's here, I can feel it, brother. Whatever this is, it's from a realm far unlike any of the nine. It's dark and twisted and vile...and it's hungry."

"Hungry?" Atreus asked. "Hungry for what?"

"This realm and everything in it, lad. And I doubt it will stop there…"

"Can we defeat it?" Kratos interjected, focusing only on the problem at hand.

"I don't know, brother. Whatever this thing is, it's beyond even _my_ knowledge. I'm afraid the only way to learn more about this is to see it with my own eyes."

"Then we are leaving." Kratos said resolutely. "From where is its origin?"

Mimir seemed hesitant to answer but sighed and gave a direction.

…

Freya pulled the string tight on the small drawstring sack and fastened it to her belt. She was now ready for departure, everything she needed tucked securely into the small bag. She was planning to travel light, hoping to get as far away from the source of the vile invasion as possible. Ideally, she would need to find a way to leave Midgard, but Odin had ensured that such a feat was impossible for her. Regardless, she knew she could not stay here. Her home was saturated with Vanir magic, and despite the protection it offered, Freya could tell that the invading force was gravitating this way, likely drawn to the magic itself.

No, she needed to escape. If she wanted a chance to reclaim her Valkyrie wings, then she had to buy more time. Unfortunately, time was something she seemed to quickly be running out of.

Suddenly, another shift rippled through the already damaged fabric of Midgard, but Freya noticed that it was far smaller than the initial tear. She frowned as her magic picked up the nature of this new entity. While it did not possess the stench of ill intent, it was still overwhelming in its insistence to enter the realm of Midgard. It was like the light of Alfheim, incredibly potent and yet ambiguous in its nature. It was also close, _very_ close.

In fact, it was so close that Freya felt as though it was right…

A loud crashing noise suddenly resounded from outside of her home, and Freya's eyes snapped to the nearby window as a flash of blue light filtered through the air and bathed the interior of her house in its glow. The light faded almost as quickly as it arrived.

Freya waited a beat, then quickly crossed the floor of the room and opened the door to the outside. Her eyes darted around looking for the source of the light and the noise, then fell upon a figure standing just outside her garden.

The first thing Freya noticed about the figure was that its form was covered in a set of dark green armor. Its make was nothing like Freya had ever seen before, the material not appearing to be of any metal that existed in the nine realms. The second thing Freya noticed about the armor was that it was incredibly damaged. The green finish had been chipped away in multiple places, and a myriad of dents and scratches ran all across its frame. A look at the helmet told her that the visor was damaged as well, with one long crack running from the top to the bottom of the faceplate. Whatever this figure was, it had likely seen better days.

Despite not being able to see anything beneath the suit, Freya knew that there was no ordinary mortal creature hiding behind that mask. Her magic revealed that the life force of this creature was incredibly strong. It was nearly on par with the gods themselves, and yet, it still seemed different somehow. Freya couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew that there was more to this creature than just its appearance.

The figure glanced around her garden, seemingly getting its bearings, then noticed her for the first time, and Freya inadvertently stiffened under the weight of its gaze. It looked at her not with open hostility, but with a general wariness, almost as though it could sense her power as well. For a moment, neither of them said a word, then a strange voice came from inside the armor.

"Hello," the voice said. "I am VEGA. I am not the man within this armor, but rather, an artificial intelligence unit that exists as a part of the suit. You may address this man as the Doom Slayer."

Freya was put off by the voice. It sounded alien to her. Though she understood the words that were being said, the voice itself sounded cold and clean, as though each sentence had been carefully constructed. The sound itself was also off-putting, as it sounded as though this 'VEGA' was speaking through a hollow metal tube. Freya did not respond immediately to its voice, her mind still registering the sight before her.

The voice suddenly spoke once more.

 _"¿Español?"_ the voice ventured, and Freya frowned in confusion. That was a word she did not understand.

 _"Nihongo?"_ the voice asked again.

 _"Ελληνικά?"_

The voice continued to speak words that Freya did not recognize, and she was just about to interrupt when the voice said something that caught her attention.

 _"Dǫnsk tunga?"_

Freya's eyes widened in response. That was the name of the language of _Seiður_ , the language of her Vanir magic. Freya then realized what the voice had been saying. It had mistaken her silence for lack of understanding, so it had been cycling through different languages in an attempt to find one that she understood.

"I understand you," Freya said, nodding toward the figure, who had yet to take its armored gaze off of her. "Though very few have distinct knowledge of the language of magic. Who are you?"

"As previously stated, I am VEGA, an artificial intelligence that resides within this armor."

There was a slight pause, then the voice spoke again.

"This 'language of magic' you refer to appears to be synonymous with a language I know as Icelandic. A visual inspection of your attire and symbolism further solidifies my theory, as it would seem to be derivative of Old Norse culture."

Freya frowned in confusion.

 _Artificial intelligence...?_

 _Icelandic...?_

 _Old Norse...?_

The more information this 'intelligence' provided, the more questions that spawned in Freya's mind. Realizing that there were things more important than that at the moment, Freya took a deep breath and composed herself. Whatever this creature and his 'intelligence' were, they had arrived mere minutes after the dark invasion had. That could not have been a coincidence. She needed to know more.

"Perhaps you should come inside," Freya said, opening her door and beckoning to the figure in the damaged armor. "I believe we have much to discuss."

...

Freya listened intently as VEGA told his story, the Doom Slayer remaining entirely quiet throughout. According to his tale, the two of them had been traveling across realms at random without a means to control their destination. The realms they had traversed were not of the nine that Freya knew, but she had not been shocked to learn of their existence. There were ancient myths and legends that referred to realms beyond their own, and more and more so had they been proven true as of late. Freya's mind briefly flitted to one example in particular, a god who had come from a land far beyond Midgard.

Looking at the Doom Slayer now, Freya bitterly noticed that he bore a striking resemblance to the god she had referred to, both having nothing to say and ever distrustful of others. She could see it in the way that the Slayer eyed her. Somehow, he knew of her godhood, even though she had not even mentioned her name or lineage since his arrival. He seemed to see right through her. Did he also know of her own bitter flame of vengeance she felt? She would not be surprised if he did.

"You are sure that you aren't a god?" she asked, looking at the Doom Slayer through his visor.

The armored figure eyed her, then shook his head in response. The answer only spawned more questions in Freya's mind. If he was not a god, then what was this powerful aura that he emanated from his very soul? He was immortal, of that she was sure at least. But her knowledge did not extend far beyond that, and the Slayer was likely unwilling to share more about it with her. She found it to be slightly irritating, but she decided not to press further. There were more important things to deal with at the moment.

"Your arrival cannot be by chance," Freya said with a shake of her head. "Something dark and vile has torn the fabric of Midgard, and it too is not of any of the other realms I know of. Perhaps you know of its origins?"

"I am afraid that the Praetor Suit is limited in its scanning capabilities," VEGA replied. "And due to the lack of interfaceable technology in this dimension, I cannot detect this invading force that you speak of. Your description implies that it could possibly be the demonic forces of Hell, but we will need to visit the site of this invasion to know for sure."

Freya glanced once more over the damaged armor that the Slayer was adorned in, then nodded slowly.

"If this force and these 'demons' you speak of are one and the same, then tell me, VEGA, how large is this threat to Midgard?"

"That is dependent upon the size of the invading force," VEGA replied calmly. "but if left unchecked, your dimension of Midgard will be completely consumed. Of this, there is no doubt. The only variable I am uncertain of is how long it would take."

Freya was speechless. These demons that VEGA spoke of, they truly possessed so much power that they could overrun all of Midgard? Certainly, they would encounter resistance from the reavers and draugr?

Freya shook her head of those thoughts. Now was not the time to dwell on that. Looking at the Slayer's form now, Freya could see that he had grown restless at the mention of the demons, and despite the state of his equipment, Freya could feel his growing desire to face these invaders.

"Very well," she said at last, walking over to her window and beckoning for the Slayer to follow. Looking to the east, Freya pointed to a small mountain in the distance.

"The source of this malicious force is at the base of that mountain. Go there, and you will find what you seek. But whatever you're planning to do, you will need to act fast. The woods whisper of the corruption spreading from the invasion's source."

The Doom Slayer gave Freya another glance from behind his cracked visor, then promptly exited her home without a word, breaking into a run across the landscape and towards the mountain she had indicated. Freya watched as his form disappeared into the trees, then looked down for a moment in contemplation.

This invasion that VEGA spoke of, if it truly was as powerful as he claimed, then Freya was sure that Kratos and his son would find their way to it as well. Over the time that she had known him, Freya had discovered that he had an affinity for getting in the middle of things. Freya clenched her fist bitterly at the thought of him but shook her head and returned to her work. The conflict within her would have to be addressed at a later date.

…

Atreus looked about with an air of curiosity and wariness as he walked down the path. Kratos strode alongside, his face the mask of determination and focus that it always was. Sparing a glance to his father's demeanor, Atreus had to give him credit. Every time Kratos reminded him to focus on the task at hand, he had not done so hypocritically, as his father was nothing if not one hundred percent focused on what he was doing. Still, Atreus thought he could do to lighten up just a little bit, as wearing a determined scowl all the time had to be exhausting.

As usual, Atreus's curiosity grew large enough to break the silence.

"Father? This force that we are moving toward…Mimir already said that they aren't from the nine realms. Could they maybe be from where _you_ came from? The land of Sparta?"

Kratos was silent for a moment. Atreus knew he was pushing against the limits of what his father was willing to tell him about his homeland, but he felt like now was a good time to pry just a little.

"No," Kratos finally said. "I do not think so."

"How can you tell? Do things from your old home have a distinctive feeling to them? Can you tell when they are close?"

"That is enough, Atreus. Focus on what lies ahead of us," Kratos said with finality. His voice was firm, but it did not hold the hint of anger that it used to when Atreus asked about his past. That was definitely a step in the right direction, and Atreus felt the beginnings of a grin worm its way to his face as he nodded in response.

"Yes sir," he replied. Taking a few steps ahead so that Kratos couldn't see his satisfied expression. The last thing Atreus wanted was for Kratos to know of his eagerness to learn more about Sparta.

Suddenly, Atreus heard a faint rustling coming from the foliage behind them, and he stiffened and slowed his steps in response, but Kratos placed a hand on his back and urged him forward.

"Do not stop," his father whispered urgently, just loud enough so Atreus could barely hear. "Ready your bow."

Atreus wordlessly complied, and he attempted to shrug his bow from his shoulders as nonchalantly as possible so as not to tip off whatever was following them. He continued walking, and for a few moments, no sound was heard save for their footfalls on the path. Then the sound of the rustling reached Atreus's ears once more, and with blinding speed, Kratos whirled around and smoothly hurled his axe towards the sound. The axe disappeared into the foliage, and Atreus suddenly heard a blood-curdling shriek from someplace that he could not see. The scream was not like any he had heard before, and he likened it to the sound of steam erupting violently from an enclosed space. Whole, yet raspy at the same time.

Kratos held out his hand, and the axe returned at his silent call. With the axe, a body tumbled out of the foliage and onto the path, its form nearly ripped in half from the axe's blade. Its form twitched for a few moments, then fell completely still.

Atreus stood tensely for a few moments, an arrow already half drawn in his bow. When the figure still did not move, the two of them slowly began to approach the downed creature. When Atreus got a closer look, he saw that the creature was large, looking to be a bit larger than the average draugr that they fought, but as Atreus inspected its features, he learned quickly that this was no draugr.

The creature's hairless skin was a deep orange-red, and long sharp claws extended from its hands in a malicious and vile manner. Its feet were horribly distorted, looking like they could have perhaps belonged to a human once, but had been warped nearly beyond recognition. The creature had fallen on its front, and Atreus could see that a number of sharp spikes protruded from the its back, adding even more of a fear factor to its already sinister appearance.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Atreus leaned down to get a closer look at the creature's face, bending into a squat to see more of just what exactly his father had killed.

"Atreus…" Kratos warned, but his voice had come too late. Glowing red eyes met Atreus's vision, accompanied by a long and sharp set of vile teeth. It was the face of nightmares, and Atreus quickly righted himself and took a step back and away from the body.

"What is this thing?" he asked warily. "I've never seen anything like this before. Have you?"

Kratos stared at the body for a long moment, but Atreus saw no recognition in his father's eyes.

"No. I have not."

"Might I have a look?" came Mimir's voice from Kratos's hip, and the man grunted once before lifting the reanimated head so that he could catch a closer look.

Atreus watched as Mimir's golden gaze examined the corpse, then he let out a sigh.

"Mimir?" Atreus asked. "Do you recognize this thing?"

"Afraid not, little brother," the head said dejectedly. "Whatever this thing is, it is not of the nine realms. This serves to only prove my worries correct."

Suddenly, the corpse at their feet began to disintegrate into flames. Rapidly, the embers consumed the creature's body, and in the span of a few seconds, all that remained of the creature was a small patch of ash.

"Well…that's interesting," Mimir mused at the sight.

Kratos returned Mimir to his hip, then looked to Atreus.

"We must keep moving. There are likely to be more nearby."

The words had just barely left his mouth before Atreus heard the sounds of battle over the nearby hill. Without a word, the two of them climbed the small crest and looked over the top into the valley below.

When Atreus looked down, he saw a sizeable number, fifteen or twenty at least, of creatures just like the one Kratos had just killed. The horde of creatures had surrounded an ogre, and though the beast towered above them, the creatures did not seem frightened. The hulking ogre roared at them angrily, its language furious and indignant. Inspecting one of the creatures, Atreus noticed that in life, they moved in a very slouched manner, giving the illusion that they were smaller than they actually were. Due to their posture, the creatures moved around mostly bipedally, but they were very agile, and were skirting just beyond the ogre's reach with a high amount of dexterity.

" _Hvað ertu að gera í skóginum mínum?!"_ the ogre bellowed.

"Boy, what is it saying?" Kratos inquired.

"He's wants to know what they're doing in his...swamp?—no wait…his _woods_ ," Atreus clarified. "Sorry, it doesn't quite translate completely."

Kratos said nothing, watching closely as the foul creatures circled the ogre, looking for an opening in its defenses. Suddenly, as though through some unspoken command, the smaller creatures all summoned some sort of magical fire to their claws. Before the ogre had time to react, the creatures flung the fireballs at the beast's form. When the projectiles struck the ogre's hide, they exploded, leaving the skin charred and blistered in their wake. The ogre roared in pain to the open sky, and as if by some unspoken command, the creatures all fell upon the ogre all at once, their sharpened claws digging deep into the larger beast's exposed skin.

The ogre roared once more in agony and swatted at the creatures as they swarmed all over its hulking form, and though the creatures were much faster than their opponent, the ogre still managed to crush a few with its massive limbs. Superior numbers prevailed however, and after sustaining many fatal wounds, the ogre fell, its body covered in lacerations from the claws of the nightmarish beasts. Though the ogre was obviously dead, the creatures still attacked its form, hacking at its limbs and deepening the gouges.

"What are they doing?" Atreus asked, his eyes wide in horror at the gruesome sight. Kratos said nothing in response.

After a few more moments of gore, the creatures pulled at the disfigured limbs, tearing some arms and legs from the ogre's lifeless body. With a small amount of fighting amongst themselves, the creatures all grabbed hold of the pieces of meat and began dragging them away, with most of the creatures lugging the bulk of the ogre's torso.

"They are taking the body with them?" Atreus asked. "Are they gonna eat it or something?"

"No," Kratos said. "Their intent is not for food. It serves another purpose to them."

"Hmmmm, the mystery deepens…" came Mimir's voice. "I suggest following them to find out, yeah?"

Kratos grunted in agreement and motioned for Atreus to remain low and move quietly. The young boy nodded in response, and together they clandestinely followed the creatures into the woods.

…

Atreus kept a close eye on maintaining distance from the creatures. Following them had not been difficult by any means, as the thick blood trails left by the ogre's body may has well have been a light in the sky by how obvious they were. As it turned out, the creatures did not move far before they reached their destination, and Kratos and Atreus hid in the surrounding undergrowth as the creatures dragged the ogre's corpse into a small clearing.

Looking further into the clearing, Atreus became sick to his stomach at the sight of corpses just like the ogre's piled all around. Guts and innards littered the ground in the clearing, their combined blood splattered haphazardly in all directions. It looked nothing short of a massacre, but Atreus's gaze froze on what it was that laid in the center of the clearing itself. There, casting everything in an ominous red glow, stood what looked like a large plant at first, but as Atreus looked closer, he saw that the 'plant' was constructed entirely out of flesh and bone. There was no mistaking the slippery red look of the meat that made up the disgusting thing, and Atreus could see several skulls poking out of the plant itself.

Hovering above the plant and pulsing with a mysterious red energy sat a transparent sphere. The sphere itself did not appear to be solid, but rather constructed out of the swirling red energy emanating from the plant itself. Around the meat plant, more of the creatures gathered, obviously making the meat plant their center of attention.

"What is that thing?" Atreus nearly gagged out in a whisper.

"Let me see," Mimir prompted, and Kratos once again removed the head from his hip so as to give Mimir a better look.

The head was silent for a moment as he took in the sight of the meat plant, and Atreus grew more and more worried with every moment that passed.

"That's magic unlike any I've ever seen before," Mimir finally said, his voice carrying a tone of awed bewilderment. "Every single part of it just screams of spite, brothers. Its power is nigh overwhelming."

Kratos grunted and wordlessly returned Mimir to his hip.

"Look at the trees and the grass," Atreus whispered, pointing to the edges where long tendrils extended from the meat plant towards the foliage all around it. Where the tendrils meet the other plants, they seemed to be toxic, as the closest trees and bushes all had withered and died.

"It's killing everything off," Atreus said. The stench of rotting flesh finally reached his nostrils, and Atreus covered his mouth and face in an attempt not to retch.

In the field, the creatures all suddenly raised their heads in alarm, and Atreus's blood ran cold with worry that he had given away their position. Thankfully, something else had seemed to garner their attention, and the horde immediately took off to the left of where Kratos and Atreus were hiding.

"Where are they going?"

"I do not know," Kratos said.

"Perhaps we should find out?" Mimir offered.

Deciding to return to the meat plant later, Atreus tracked the direction the creatures had taken. Their footprints were distinct from any other beast that Atreus had ever seen, so he had little trouble following their trail as he eagerly led his father. In truth, Atreus was just glad to be away from that god-awful stench that had permeated the entire clearing where the meat plant sat. He dreaded the thought of having to return. As they continued, Atreus noticed that they were entering the foothills, recognizing the rocky terrain that signaled they were close to the mountain.

Shortly, the sounds of violence reached Atreus's ears once more, and with a quick glance at his father, the boy hurried his pace, clamoring up onto one of the massive boulders nearby to gaze at the commotion on the other side. Kratos climbed up beside him.

Looking down, Atreus saw the creatures swarming around something that he couldn't quite see at first, but his eyes shot open when he recognized a large pair of wings on the unknown form.

"Father! It's a Valkyrie!" Atreus said in awe.

"Hmm," Kratos grunted, acknowledging that his son was indeed correct.

"These invaders must be trying to bestow upon her the same fate as that poor ogre," Mimir said, more to himself than anyone else.

As Atreus looked back down into the battleground below, he saw that despite their overwhelming numbers against the winged spirit, the nightmarish creatures were losing the fight. Atreus did not know the name of the Valkyrie that was battling the creatures below, but he and Kratos had already fought against two other Valkyries on their journey, and though the father and son had triumphed both times, Atreus knew from firsthand experience that a Valkyrie was no pushover. As he watched, the Valkyrie darted with blinding speed between the creatures, screeching all the while as she slashed at them with her wings. In twos and threes, the creatures fell, their own dying screams of agony combining with the Valkyrie's battle cry into a macabre chorus of death and chaos. Many of the creatures attempted to summon their strange magic fire to hit the Valkyrie from a distance, but she had proven too fast for them, and their trajectories missed wide with each attempt to hit her.

Feeling satisfied, Atreus saw no victory in sight for the creatures, and he was about to voice his opinion out loud when a loud cracking noise came from the trees on the other side of the foliage. Then suddenly, a new kind of monstrous beast jumped into the fray, and Atreus looked on with a mixture of awe and fear at the newcomer. The beast was incredibly large, standing taller and wider than even Kratos did, and Atreus saw that the monster's body held an extremely muscular girth, and its threatening stature only increased when Atreus saw that its face. Similar to the smaller creatures around it, the monster's teeth were flared, though in contrast, Atreus noticed that the monster's hide was that of a blackish-purple compared to the orangish-red of the smaller creatures. With a roar that Atreus defined as a deeper and scarier version of the smaller creatures', the monster charged the Valkyrie as well, its gargantuan fists coated in the same magical fire that the smaller creatures wielded.

"That monster is one of the invaders! Just like the smaller ones!" Atreus said nervously as he watched the scene unfold below. The Valkyrie was forced to switch tactics as the monster lunged for her, as despite the large beast's impressive size, it was still very agile. While the darkened monster attempted to get in close to the Valkyrie, the smaller creatures hung back and launched their fireballs at her, forcing her to stay mobile.

"They're working together!" Atreus whispered.

"Very loosely, but yes," Kratos murmured, his eyes narrowing at the battle.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Atreus asked, and Kratos wordlessly pointed down at the larger beast in response.

Following his father's gesture, Atreus saw that while the two kinds of monsters did seem to be working together, they did not seem to care much for each other's safety. As the larger creature attempted to strike the Valkyrie, it paid little mind to any of the smaller creatures, and those who happened to be in its way were trodden underfoot by its massive bulk.

"They're feral…" Atreus whispered. "They don't care about each other, and if one of them gets in the way…"

"Then they are treated as an obstacle, nothing more," Kratos finished.

As he spoke, the Valkyrie dodged a charge and flew into the air. Once she had gained some altitude, the warrior of Valhalla fell into a tight spin, launching gilded feathers in every direction as she did so. Atreus knew from experience that getting hit by one of those feathers was the equivalent of being impaled by a spear, and as he watched, many feathers struck home, staggering the smaller creatures if not downright killing them.

As the fallen creatures burned up like the one they had killed earlier, Atreus saw the larger beast give an enraged roar. Five feathers protruded from its skin, and though inky blood seeped from the wounds, the beast did not seem deterred. It faced the Valkyrie again despite its dwindling number of allies.

Suddenly, a bright beam of red light burst from the foliage on Atreus's right and struck the monster square in the back. The beam was obviously powerful, and the monster's upper torso exploded from the impact, scattering its still intact arms and head in separate directions. There was a lull for just a moment as Valkyrie and monster alike turned in surprise to the source of a beam, then another figure exploded into the clearing and engaged the remaining smaller creatures with a strange two-handed sword that Atreus did not recognize.

The figure was clad in a strange set of green armor, and though Atreus could not know for sure, it looked like it could be a human underneath. Taking note of the rather damaged state of the armor, Atreus then focused on the weird sword that the stranger wielded. Its hilt was large and blocky, and though its blade wasn't very long, the stranger seemed to be having no trouble cutting through the smaller creatures with the weapon.

Each time the stranger began to cut through the creatures, the sword in his hands roared metallically, confusing Atreus even further.

"Father? Who is that? And what is that weird sword he's using?"

"I do not know," Kratos replied, and Atreus could tell from his father's tone of voice that this strange man in the suit was an enigma to him as well.

At Mimir's request, Kratos shifted the head so that he could see, and after a brief moment of wordlessness, Mimir spoke to them over the carnage happening on the battlefield below.

"Oh brothers, if I'm right, and I usually am, then we might just be in for a treat!"

"What do you mean? Do you know who this is?" Atreus asked eagerly as the strange man sliced the head off of another creature.

"Aye, lad. I just might, but let's wait until that battle down there simmers down a little bit, yeah?"

"Head…" Kratos warned.

"Trust me, brother. This story can't be told until the battle is over."

"Well then, what about his sword?" Atreus asked. "It's so different from all the other kinds I've seen."

"Aye, that's because it's not exactly a sword, lad!" Mimir said excitedly. "See how the edge of the blade rotates up and down its length?"

Atreus turned down to the scene and saw that Mimir was right. The edge of the blade was constantly rotating about its bulk, and when it roared, the blade rotated faster, cutting through the creatures easily when it came in contact with them.

"So, it's not a sword at all? It's a…saw?"

"I believe so!" Mimir chirped, his enthusiasm having grown since he had laid eyes on the stranger. "Though I must admit, even I have never seen a saw like that before."

Down below, the stranger was sawing through the last of the creatures when the Valkyrie seemingly awoke from her stunned state and targeted him. Being trapped in a physical form brewed feral insanity in the mind of a Valkyrie, causing them to see each living creature as an enemy, and as of now, the stranger was the only creature left that she could see. With a scream, she charged toward the stranger's exposed back, her wings poised to impale him.

"Watch out!" Atreus cried out before he could stop himself.

"Boy!" Kratos seethed, enraged that Atreus had given away their position. But Atreus didn't care at the moment, his attention completely on the stranger as the Valkyrie closed in. As she thrust a sharpened wing towards the stranger's back, the armored figure suddenly whirled around…

…and caught it.

Atreus's eyes boggled. The man beneath that suit had just stopped a Valkyrie's charge with his bare hands. The only other person alive that could do that was…

Atreus glanced sidelong at his father, seeing the man's usual scowl deepening at the sight of the figure's feat of strength.

Atreus turned back in time to see the stranger pull the Valkyrie close by her wing and throw her viciously to the ground. The Valkyrie shrieked and tried to right herself, but the figure stomped down on her neck with a heavily armored boot, stifling her attempt.

With his boot still firmly planted on the Valkyrie's neck, the figure grabbed hold of the Valkyrie's nearest wing and violently ripped it free from her body. The Valkyrie bellowed in agony as the appendage was torn from her, but the stranger did not let up, discarding the wing and repeating the process with the other. The Valkyrie twitched once, then fell still. Silence reigned throughout the clearing once more.

"He's strong, like you!" Atreus whispered excitedly to his father, who silenced him with a look.

The stranger looked down at the Valkyrie for a moment, then turned its gaze upward and looked directly at where Atreus and his father were hidden, immediately letting the two of them know that he was aware of their presence.

"Well, brothers. I think we best go introduce ourselves," Mimir said. "It's not like he doesn't know we're here."

Kratos stared down at the figure, his eyes wary and distrustful, and he made no attempt to move.

"Just trust me on this," Mimir said. "You're going to want to meet this man."

…

As Kratos and Atreus approached the man standing beside the dead Valkyrie, an incorporeal spirit emerged from the now wingless corpse. Just like the others before, the Valkyrie had now been freed from her physical form, and as a result, her mind was no longer corrupted.

The Valkyrie's spirit looked down upon the stranger, who turned his helmeted head to look at her without losing Kratos and Atreus from his view.

"You…have freed me," the Valkyrie said, her transparent form showing gratitude as she hovered above her physical corpse.

"I recognize that voice. Is that you, Geirdriful?" Mimir asked as their group reached the figure and the Valkyrie.

"Mimir?" she asked, turning at the sound of her name. "Are you with this warrior? By the gods…what happened to you?"

"Had to pay my dues," Mimir said with a wistful chuckle. "There used to be quite a bit more of me, didn't there?"

"Mimir, I…I don't remember what happened," Geirdriful said, shaking her head. "How I became like this…"

The winged woman looked from Kratos and Atreus to the stranger, then shook her head.

"I think I remember…the queen. She…locked me away?"

"Sigrun…" Mimir murmured.

"I…I must go," Geirdriful said with a shake of her head. "I have to find her. I must remember."

She turned once more to the armored stranger.

"You have my gratitude for freeing me, stranger. I will not forget this."

No voice spoke from behind the cracked visor, but the figure still nodded once in acknowledgement. With that, Geirdriful's spiritual form dissipated, leaving Atreus and his father to get a closer look at the stranger for the first time.

At first, silence reigned throughout the clearing, neither party saying anything as they sized each other up. At last, Mimir cleared his throat.

"Well then, brother. Perhaps some introductions are in order?"

"Who are you?" Kratos demanded, his distrust fully displayed on his face. Atreus understood his father's reaction, as he also had his suspicions of this strange figure as well. There were few things in the nine realms that were strong enough to halt a Valkyrie's charge like that, and there was only one type of life among those that possessed a human appearance.

Gods.

"Hello," came an unexpected voice from the armor. "The dismembered head tied to your belt is indeed correct. Introductions are a wise course of action."

Atreus spared a glance between the figure and his father, raising an eyebrow as to gauge the reactions between the two. The atmosphere had suddenly become quite…interesting.

…

Atreus listened enthusiastically as VEGA continued his story. So far, his assumptions had been proven correct. This armored figure, the Doom Slayer as he was apparently called, had arrived not long ago in Midgard, having traveled from a realm outside any of the nine realms Atreus knew of. Apparently, they had been traveling randomly between realms in the hope that they'd return to their own by sheer luck. It was a feat that VEGA had deemed highly unlikely, but it remained their only option at the moment.

In addition, VEGA explained that they had come to the foothills for the same reason Kratos and Atreus did. The invading force had alerted all of Midgard when it had arrived, and they had come to inspect the source. Atreus tried to organize the information that VEGA was giving him all at once, but he realized that he needed to write this down if he was going to retain it all. Hastily pulling his notebook from his pouch, Atreus furiously began writing in his journal a list of things that VEGA had told them:

 _-The Doom Slayer is really strong, just like father! VEGA says that he isn't a god, but he doesn't agree that the Slayer is entirely human either. That's too bad. I think that if he was a god, then he'd be one of the good ones like us!_

 _-Apparently, VEGA isn't a spirit. He calls himself an 'artificial intelligence'. I don't know what that means, but he says that if I have trouble understanding to think of him like Mimir. He can't do anything except talk at the moment, but he's really smart and knows a lot of information._

 _-These creatures that are invading our realm, VEGA calls them 'demons'. He says that they come from a realm called 'Hell', but apparently a different Hel than the one that we've been to. He says that their version of Hell is really hot and covered with molten rock, so it's definitely not the same one as ours._

 _-The smaller demons that killed the ogre are called 'Imps'. They like to hunt in packs since they aren't very strong by themselves. And the big darker one we saw was called a 'Hell Knight'. VEGA says that there are way more varieties of demon besides those two, and he says that some are even bigger than the hell knights! I wonder if these bigger demons he talks about are as big as the trolls are…_

 _-That meat plant we saw before, VEGA calls it a 'gore nest'. He says it acts like a bridge between Hell and Midgard and allows the demons to continue coming here. Maybe if we destroy the gore nest, then the demons can't come into Midgard anymore!_

Atreus frowned at one question that burned brighter than the numerous others swirling around in his mind.

"Wait…VEGA? How did you and the Doom Slayer know where to look for the source of the invasion? The only way we were able to find it was because of Mimir."

"The Praetor Suit possesses a very rudimentary scanning system that allows me to detect the presence of the demons if they are close by," VEGA said simply. "However, we received a heading from a woman residing in the woods not far from here."

Atreus's heart skipped a beat, and he shared a quick glance with his father before anxiously speaking again.

"A woman, do you mean Freya? The woman that lives in a cottage under a massive turtle?"

"Yes, I believe they are one and the same," VEGA responded. "Unless, of course, it is common practice in this dimension to reside under large beasts."

Atreus's mind whirled, his thoughts erratic at the news. They had spoken to Freya? Was she still mad at them? Did she tell the Doom Slayer about them? Would he try to kill them if he knew who they were?

Atreus met his father's eye, who shook his head to discourage his son's train of thought.

"Focus now, Atreus," Kratos said before turning back to the Doom Slayer. It was obvious by his posture that he still did not fully trust these newcomers, but at the moment, a begrudging alliance was better than no alliance at all.

"If this invasion can be quelled by destroying the gore nest, then we must do so," Kratos rumbled.

The Doom Slayer agreed with a small nod of his head, and a minute later, their newly formed party marched back in the direction of the gore nest. Atreus looked over their group as they walked and attempted to lighten the mood a small amount.

"Two gods, a sort-of god, a severed head, and a spirit are all walking down a trail. That sort of sounds like the beginning of a joke that _you_ would make, Mimir!"

Kratos immediately snapped a sharp gaze to Atreus, and the child quickly realized his blunder, as he had just accidentally given away the fact of their godhood to the Doom Slayer. He looked over at the Slayer and apprehensively fingered his bowstring, but the armored man made no comment and continued to walk down the forest path. VEGA however, seemed to notice the tense atmosphere that had suddenly befallen their group.

"Both of your heart rates have increased, is something the matter?"

His words took Atreus off guard. How did VEGA know how fast his heart was beating? What kind of magic told him that?

"Uh not really, but aren't you worried about the fact that we're gods?" Atreus ventured.

"Boy!" Kratos hissed, and Atreus wisely stopped talking as VEGA answered his question.

"I am not surprised by your statement, Atreus, and I do not believe the Doom Slayer is either. Your life signs are significantly stronger than that of a normal human, making your nature clear to me upon our first meeting."

Atreus frowned, and Kratos did too, though the father's expression was more in anger than confusion.

"And just what else are our "life signs" telling you, _spirit_?" Kratos asked in a dangerously low tone.

"I am able to discern your hesitation to trust both the Doom Slayer and me," VEGA replied. "While your apprehension is understandable, I must inform you that it is misplaced. We arrived in this dimension only through an act of chance, and we only remain here because of the threat the demons pose to your realm."

"And what do you seek to gain from offering us aid?" Kratos said irritably. "Do not expect us to reward you for your efforts."

"My scans indicate that your dimension houses very powerful magic, Kratos," VEGA replied, his tone remaining level and relaxed despite Kratos's accusations. "If the demons were to gain access and harness that power, then our dimension would suffer for it as well. It behooves us to remain here and see that the threat is eliminated. In addition, it is also a morally and ethically sound decision to assist others."

"And if we do not _require_ your assistance?"

The Doom Slayer turned his visor to glare at Kratos, and Atreus almost could almost _see_ the intensity arc in the air between them. They stopped walking for a moment, and Atreus nervously assumed the worst before the Doom Slayer broke his gaze and continued marching ahead of them, breaking the tension.

"Perhaps you do not," VEGA replied from the Praetor Suit, his voice as cordial as ever. "But we will give it nonetheless."

Atreus fell in step next to Kratos, who continued to eye the Doom Slayer walking ahead of them.

"You ever heard the saying about "gift horses", brother?" Mimir asked from his hip.

Kratos grunted in response but said nothing.

"Father," Atreus said. "Do you remember what you told me back when I was rude to Sindri?" Atreus asked.

Kratos looked down to meet his son's gaze.

"You told me that it served nothing to make an enemy of him, and that I was being needless and unkind. I feel like the same thing is happening here. It serves us no purpose to antagonize them."

"Have I taught you nothing, boy?" Kratos said, keeping his voice level. "The trust of another is earned, not freely given, and they have done nothing to earn our trust."

Atreus paused for a moment in consideration, then spoke again, his voice barely a whisper in the hope that VEGA and the Slayer couldn't hear.

"But we don't _have_ to trust them. Remember what VEGA said? They're only staying until they kill all the demons, then they'll leave. Since we were going to kill demons anyway, we aren't changing our plan because of them. We'll work together to finish our mission, and if they reveal some secret motive instead of leaving, then we'll know that they're bad people and we can fight them then. But for now, let's just try to get along with them."

Kratos's gaze lingered on his son for a moment, then he gave a grunt of reluctant agreement and returned his gaze to the Slayer's back, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly.

"Well, color me impressed, lad!" Mimir said from Kratos's hip. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that that vat of wise council was dispensed by none other than Týr himself!"

Atreus felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips at the compliment.

"Thanks, Mimir," he said. "I just thought it was pointless to waste our energy fighting each other instead of focusing on what's important."

"Aye, and just that proves my point, little brother! Do you think such a profound thought would ever even cross the mind of Odin or his big, butchering, bloodlusted bastard of a son?"

"I guess not," Atreus said with a brief consideration.

"Exactly, and _that_ is what it means to be better, lad. Wouldn't you agree, brother?"

Atreus saw Kratos nod almost imperceptibly in response.

"Your mother would be proud," he said simply.

At this, Atreus couldn't help but smile. Though they had been more recent of late, a compliment from his father was something he rarely received, and he took a moment to bask in the feeling as they continued walking.

As they drew closer to the clearing that the gore next resided in, the stench of rotting flesh began to fill Atreus's nose once more. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, which Kratos seemed to notice.

"Breathe normally, boy. Your sense of smell will acclimate to the stench."

"Yes sir," Atreus said, attempting to ease the putrid air into his lungs in the hope of mitigating the abhorrent odor. Looking ahead, Atreus saw that they were close, with the red hue from the gore nest beginning to fill the air along with the smell.

They rounded the final corner, and Atreus saw the nest appear in his vision, the sight still as unpleasant as it had been when he'd last seen it.

"So, we destroy that thing and it will stop the demons from coming over?" he asked hopefully.

"Correct," VEGA replied. "I advise you to be ready, however. A gore nest is by all means a living organism. Each one possesses a reflexive response that will siphon more demons from hell when it is destroyed."

Kratos grunted and removed the Leviathan Axe from its holster on his back. Atreus followed his lead, unshouldering his bow and nocking an arrow into the string. Together, the group walked unchallenged into the clearing, as all of the patrolling demons had left their posts to fight the Valkyrie, and were now dead. Their group was alone.

"How will you destroy it?" Kratos asked as the Slayer strode toward the glowing nest.

The Slayer said nothing, but suddenly reached forward and drove a gauntleted fist into what appeared to be a flesh sac on the side of the gore nest. The sac ruptured and sprayed dark fluids everywhere, but the Slayer paid no attention and ripped something free from where his hand had gone in, and as Atreus looked, he saw that the Slayer was holding some kind of heart in his palm.

Suddenly, the gore nest began to convulse, and a nightmarish screech sounded from someplace on it that Atreus couldn't see. He made to cover his ears at its piercing shriek, but there was no need, as the gore nest suddenly ruptured, pieces of meat and bone flying in all directions as the construct tore itself apart.

Atreus suddenly heard a series of noises all around him, and he whirled around to see bright flashes of light pepper the open clearing. The flashes of light quickly faded, and in their place, a horde of imps took shape. They screeched their terrible screech as their eyes landed on the group, and Atreus reflexively lifted his bow and fired, the arrow arcing through the air and embedding itself in the throat of the nearest demon.

Blood spewed from the imp's neck as it collapsed, and the other imps immediately took action without even looking at their fallen comrade. Some immediately charged forward to get in close, and others stayed back and began summoning fire to their claws.

"Atreus!" Kratos called, but Atreus already knew what he was going to say. They had fought enough battles together that his actions had become second nature, and he obediently took up a position that placed Kratos between himself and the feral creatures, but still allowed him to keep a clear line of sight so that he could fire upon them with his bow.

Behind him, the Doom Slayer took up a similar position to his father, giving Atreus a line of defense from both sides as the horde of imps advanced upon them. Keeping his field of vision wide, Atreus fired arrow after arrow as his father and the Doom Slayer engaged the demons. His knowledge as a warrior had grown rapidly, and Atreus immediately loosed arrows towards any demons that attempted to flank them, effectively keeping the horde from overwhelming the small party.

Atreus heard a series of loud banging noises, and he spared a quick glance to see that the Doom Slayer had produced some sort of weapon in his hands. Unlike his strange saw from before, this one appeared to be made of two metal cylinders attached to a wooden stock. Atreus had no idea what to make of the thing, but each time the Slayer pointed it at an imp, it would kick in his hands and a flash of light would burst from the end. The flash didn't travel far, but each imp he fired it at would suddenly become extremely injured by some invisible force. Entire body parts nearly evaporated each time the machine kicked in the Slayer's hands, and though Atreus was curious as to the strange weapon's nature, he could not find a time to inspect it further, as his focus remained on picking off imps with his bow.

Out of the corner of his eye, Atreus suddenly noticed more flashes of light, each one heralding the arrival of more demons. Atreus fired an arrow in the direction as the light faded, hoping to drop the demon just as it spawned. Though his arrow hit its mark, Atreus's eyes widened in surprise as a lumbering monster of a demon appeared instead of more imps. This one was larger than the hell knights that Atreus had already seen, and unlike the muscular form that they possessed, this one rounder and fatter with thick slabs of armor barely containing its blubbery form.

Three of these new demons had spawned around them, and Atreus saw that unlike the imps and hell knights, these demons actually wielded weapons in the form of two massive cannons in place of their hands and forearms. It was a chilling sight to see, as if being the size of an ogre wasn't enough, these demons were actually armed.

"Watch out! These are a kind I've never seen before!" Atreus yelled, firing another arrow to try and hit one of these creatures through the eye. His arrow missed by no more than a few inches, and the fatter demon's thick skin stopped the arrow from piercing too deeply, serving no purpose other than to annoy the new demon and have it set its malicious gaze upon Atreus.

"These demons are classified as mancubi," VEGA's voice said, his patient tone somehow carrying over the sounds of battle. "Their internal organs are highly flammable, therefore I advise severing the feed tube to the flamethrowers located on their arms, as the volatile gas will cause an explosion if allowed to diffuse."

"Okay...but what is a flamethrower?! I don't know what that is!"

Atreus paused as the Doom Slayer suddenly charged the mancubus closest to him, and the demon growled and aimed its arm cannons at him in response, a stream of fire suddenly bursting from the end of the cannons and enveloping the Slayer in a scorching blaze.

"Oh…" Atreus gaped, the answer to his question blatantly staring him in the face. Before his eyes, the Doom Slayer emerged from the column of flames, his armor smoking but looking no worse than it did already. Leaping up, the Slayer landed on one of the demon's enormous arms and grasped a tube that ran from the arm cannon to a port on the mancubus's back. With a heave, the Slayer popped the seal, and the end of the tube came free from the cannon. A hissing noise filled the air as the gas within blew free, and the Slayer had barely enough time to leap away before the mancubus exploded, its grotesque innards flying everywhere.

"Boy!"

Ateus shook himself free from his stupor to the sound of his name, and he turned to see Kratos barreling through the remaining imps towards one of the remaining mancubi, who turned and readied its arm cannons to intercept him.

"Your bow!"

Thankful to have known him long enough to decipher what he meant, Atreus nocked an arrow and focused on the words he needed to say. Channeling the power infused in the bowstring, Atreus bellowed a command:

 _"Þruma!"_

Electricity coursed across the bowstring and into the arrow as Atreus fired, and it struck home in the second mancubus's soft belly flesh. Unlike with the hardened skin in the creature's neck, the arrow did not meet much resistance, burying itself to the fletching in the creature's stomach fat. Electric arcs coursed across the mancubus's skin, but Atreus didn't care about that, as it was the arcs _within_ the creature's body that mattered.

Just as planned, the electricity created a spark within the creature's gut, which was more than enough to ignite the demon's flammable innards. The mancubus gave an agonized roar before its front burst in an eruption of blood and guts, giving Atreus just enough time to see his father face the last of the three.

The Blades of Chaos sat in his hands, the blackened metal humming with the power they possessed. Before the mancubus could fire its flamethrowers, Kratos drove forward and buried the blades in the creatures exposed stomach. Without hesitation, the god of war drug the blades across the putrid flesh, widening the cut and causing the organs within to gush forth onto the ground at his feet.

After dragging the blades across the considerable width of the demon's gut, Kratos wrenched them free and kicked the mancubus backward with force that only a god could muster. The creatures dying form flew backward a short distance, and its insides exploded midair, casting its bulk in numerous directions and blasting any unfortunate imps that were within its proximity.

"That's all three!" Atreus called, nocking another arrow to pick off the remaining demons.

Shortly after, silence reigned throughout the clearing save for the hiss of demon flesh as it burned away. His breathing slightly labored from the intensity of the battle, Atreus walked over to his father, who was inspecting the remains of the gore nest with a keen eye. The Doom Slayer approached their group as well.

"Did we do it then?" Atreus asked. "Did we stop the invasion?"

"The lack of a gore nest will hinder the arrival of more demons," VEGA said. "But after running a few rudimentary scans, I have concluded that there are at least two more here in Midgard."

"Aye," Mimir confirmed. "I can feel them nearby. It's weaker than it was before, but it's still there all the same."

"If there are two remaining, then we will split up," Kratos rumbled. "The sooner we eliminate the threat, the better."

The Doom Slayer looked over at him through his cracked visor, then nodded once, agreeing with Kratos's decision.

"Are you sure that's wise, brother?" Mimir asked. "Suppose we meet a new kind of demon while we're destroying the nest? These lads have acute knowledge of their weaknesses…"

"We will endure, head," Kratos said with finality, ending any further protest.

"Very well. The Doom Slayer and I will travel northeast to one of the sites that my scans indicate," VEGA chimed in. "Mimir, that leaves you to guide them northwest to the other gore nest's location."

"'Spose it does," Mimir sighed. "I guess we'll see you lads afterward?"

The Doom Slayer nodded his head once, then turned on his heel and marched off into the foliage, following VEGA's heading to travel northeast.

Atreus watched him leave for a second, then looked over to Mimir's dangling head.

"So, our heading is northwest then, Mimir?"

"Aye lad," Mimir said. "But I fear we won't have to search for this nest. I have a dark hunch as to where it is. I'm just hoping that I'm wrong…"

…

Kratos pulled the boat alongside Týr's temple, and Atreus looked up to the doors of the realm travel room with dread. He could already see the red haze in the air, and he caught a whiff of the putrid stench as father and son exited the boat.

"The gore nest is _inside_ the travel room?" Atreus said uncertainly.

"Aye lad, and I'm afraid that is the exact location I'd put it in if I were a demon. The roots of the Yggdrasil are more prominent here than nearly any other place in Midgard. And if their gore nest can tap into the Tree of Life…"

"…then they could gain a foothold in the other realms," Kratos finished as they ascended towards the door.

The implication was enough to cause Atreus to audibly gulp, his mind already imagining the havoc that the demons would rain down upon the other realms if they were to gain access. Midgard was one thing, but Atreus shuddered to think what the demons would do if they took control of the light of Alfheim.

Taking a deep breath, Atreus shook his head and cleared his thoughts.

 _No._

That wasn't going to happen. They would stop them. They had to. If they didn't…

 _…no. focus!_

Kratos seemed to notice his son's apprehension, and he softly set his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Breathe, boy."

Atreus met his gaze, then nodded and turned to the door to the antechamber as they approached. Using his strength, Kratos pulled open the door, and the red haze greeted them as they stepped into what was usually Brok and Sindri's workshop but was now a completely deserted room. Their workstation was still there, but the Huldra brothers were nowhere to be seen. Atreus hoped that they were alright.

Together, they stepped across the small light bridge, and on the count of three, Kratos pulled the door wide open and they entered the travel room, weapons at the ready.

Inside, the gore nest came into view, and after disposing of the few imps and the hell knight that occupied the interior of the room, Atreus's eyes widened in anxiety at what he saw. The gore nest itself was placed right next to the travel table, where the roots of the Yggdrasil were most abundant. Where the tendrils extended from the base of the gore nest, they snaked outward and merged grotesquely with the roots, dying the root a blood red at the source. The awful color spread a small way through the roots from where the tendrils latched on, making it seem like the tendrils were spreading their vile essence through the veins of the tree. The affected roots looked weakened and sickly, as though the gore nest was sapping its energy from it at the same time, and the whole scene was bathed in the hellish glow from the nest, and Atreus felt his heart sink as he took it all in.

"These demons…they really are evil, aren't they?" he asked to no one in particular.

No one replied, as the answer to his question lay right in front of them. Frowning in anger, Atreus drew his knife.

"We need to destroy that thing. It's making the Tree sick!"

He advanced on the gore nest with his knife raised but was stopped by Kratos's hand.

"I will do it, boy. Ready your bow."

Atreus paused, but then he nodded and sheathed his knife as Kratos stepped to the nest. Imitating the Slayer's actions from earlier, Kratos drove his hand through the flesh sac on the side of the grotesque structure. The sac ruptured and sprayed dark fluids everywhere, and with a grunt, Kratos ripped something free from where his hand had gone in, and Atreus spied the heart of the nest gripped firmly in his hand.

As with before, the gore nest began to convulse and ripple violently, shrieking its bloody scream as it tore itself apart.

Multiple demons began spawning around them like when they had destroyed the first gore nest, but this time, Atreus was ready. He expertly aimed at the flashes of light that signaled their entry and fired just as they materialized, giving many demons no breathing room as they fell within moments of arriving.

Kratos had drawn the Leviathan Axe once more and was using the deep cold blade as a counter to the natural heat the demons seemed to emanate. More demons spawned to take the place of their fallen, but Kratos and Atreus worked flawlessly, executing the hellish creatures despite their superior numbers. A mancubus spawned in at one point, but Atreus had quickly silenced the beast with an arrow infused with electricity.

Just as the last of the demons fell to Kratos's axe, a glowing red portal suddenly burst open from across the room. Atreus paused, fixated at the sight of the portal, and he noted that this one was quite different from the red flash of light that usually heralded the coming of a demon.

For a moment, the portal was still, then Atreus saw a figure emerge from its blackened depths. Expecting it to be another mortifying demon, Atreus's eyes widened in surprise at the relatively human appearance of the figure. He bit his tongue however as the figure fully emerged from the portal, showing that it was anything _but.._.

The first and most obvious sign to Atreus was the figure's face. Piercing red eyes stared back at him, their glow amplified against the deathly pale skin that the figure possessed. Two sets of horns protruded from the figure's head, one that protruded down and forward from its cheeks, and another longer pair that sprouted from its temples. Its mouth was covered by a green face plate of sorts, which matched the light armor that the figure was adorned in. A similarly colored set of shoulder plates, gauntlets, pants and greaves stuck out to Atreus, but it was the glowing red light that sat off-center on the figure's chest plate that caused his gaze to linger. The appearance of the light, as well as the rest of the armor…

…it reminded Atreus of someone..."

"Father…?" Atreus nervously asked.

Kratos said nothing, but gently ushered the boy behind himself as the figure inspected the scene around itself. Its glowing red eyes lingered on the disintegrating demons, the Yggdrasil roots, and the remnants of the gore nest before its gaze returned to the two of them. It studied them for a moment, then spoke in a voice that sounded like rocks tumbling down a hillside.

 ** _"Where…is…he?"_** the figure demanded, its vocals slow and drawn out, as though it found speaking to be rather tedious.

Neither father nor son replied, and Kratos narrowed his gaze as the demonic figure drew a dark shaft of metal to its side. There was a vile hiss, and a double-bladed axe head burst to life at the end of the shaft. The head glowing with a malignant red energy that matched the hue of the gore nest.

Pacing across from them, the figure dragged the tip of the axe across the floor, sparks flying from where the metal of the shaft met the metal of the floor.

Kratos eyed the axe, then drew his own and stepped forward.

"Find an angle, and make it count," the God of War whispered to Atreus, who nodded once. Across from them, the figure watched as Kratos approached to meet his issued challenge, his own axe glowing blue with frost in contrast to the deep red of the figure's.

Deep red eyes followed his movement.

 ** _"Perhaps…the…whispers…were…false,"_** the figure rumbled.

 **_"But…it…makes…no…difference…now."_ **

The figure stopped pacing and faced Kratos, who in turn stopped and faced it in return.

 **_"You…will…die…just…like…them."_ **

In a flash, the figure charged forward, brandishing its axe and raising it in preparation. Kratos responded, uncoiling his wrist shield and parrying the blow. The red axe bounced off the hardened metal, giving Kratos an opening for counterattack. He swung his axe to strike the figure, but it responded in kind by summoning a shield of its own, the bright red energy forming into a large plate at its wrist. The blow clashed against the shield, but the figure staggered backward from the force of the blow, betraying that Kratos was the stronger between the two. Realizing this, the God of War surged forward to close the distance and strike once more, but the figure swiftly dropped its shield and grabbed a device from its hip. As it leveled device at Kratos, Atreus suddenly remembered seeing something similar in the hands of the Slayer…

"Father! Watch out!"

But it was too late. The device kicked in the figure's outstretched hand, and Kratos roared in pain as blood misted from his chest. Thankfully, the device only seemed to stagger him rather than seriously wound, but it was enough for the figure to gain an opening to strike. It raised its axe once more, but Atreus had already nocked an arrow into his bowstring. Summoning the light of Alfheim, Atreus saw the blue light coat the arrow as he fired.

 _"Ljósta!"_

The arrow caught the figure directly in its chest, and it staggered as the light crashed throughout its body. Unfortunately for Atreus, the figure recovered quickly, and with an angry growl, it raised its axe into the air. The gesture did nothing to intimidate Atreus, but to his astonishment, the ethereal form of a wolf appeared next to the figure. Its transparent body glowed a deep orange that gave away is vile nature, and with a snarl, the wolf charged at Atreus, giving the boy barely any time to nock an arrow before it leapt at him, its jaws open and lunging for his throat.

…

"Atreus!" Kratos shouted, his adrenaline spiking as the wolf lept for his son. He rushed to him, but the figure swung its axe for him again, forcing him to dodge backward and out of its path. The figure now stood between him and Atreus, its glowing in spite.

Unable to reach his child, Kratos felt his rage boil over inside of him, and with a guttural yell, his arms became wreathed in the fires of his fury. The demonic figure took a half-step back in surprise from his sudden transformation, but Kratos closed the distance in the time it took to blink. Bellowing in anger, the God of War ripped the red-bladed axe from the figure's grip.

Holding the stolen weapon in two hands, Kratos brought the axe furiously down upon the figure. The demonic creature summoned its shield once more to block, but the power behind Kratos's swing overwhelmed the defense. The red light of the shield cracked and broke, and the axe followed through, cleaving the figure cleanly in two down the middle. The sides of the cut glowed red from the energy of the axe blade, but Kratos did not care. He discarded the axe and rushed forward to assist Atreus, his eyes focusing on the boy just in time to see him drive his knife deeply into the phantom wolf's neck. The wolf yowled in pain once, and then dissipated into the mist, leaving Atreus on his back with his knife outstretched into the air above him.

Kratos was at his son's side in an instant, the rage within him subsiding as he saw that he had sustained no injuries. Atreus lay in shock for a few moments, his chest heaving with residual adrenaline from the encounter.

…

"Breathe," Kratos instructed, propping Atreus up so that he was no longer on his back. Atreus consciously made an effort to slow down his erratic heart rate, and after a few moments, his breathing began to return to normal.

"What…what was that thing?" he asked apprehensively.

"I do not know," Kratos said, helping Atreus to his feet.

"Mimir?"

"Haven't the foggiest lad. Certainly was frightening though, yeah?"

"It's armor…it looked a lot like…"

Atreus was interrupted as the door they had used to enter the chamber opened, spilling light into the dimly lit travel room. The shadowy silhouette of the Doom Slayer appeared against the light, crossing the room to where Kratos and Atreus stood.

Immediately, Kratos placed himself between Atreus and the Slayer and drew the Blades of Chaos.

"Stay where you are," he commanded dangerously.

The Slayer eyed him through his cracked visor, but his pace gradually slowed to a stop, his form standing almost ten paces from Kratos and Atreus.

"You have lied to us," Kratos growled.

"I do not understand," VEGA said through the Slayer's helmet. "Was the gore nest not in the direction that I indicated?"

"There was a creature, a demon. It bore armor like yours and a mark that matches the one on your helm," Kratos fumed. "What is the meaning of this?!"

The Doom Slayer looked over to where the creature had drug its axe across the floor, then tilted his head downward in what Atreus interpreted as 'irritated recognition'.

"This creature you encountered..." VEGA prompted. "Could you please describe it further?"

"It was looking for you!" Atreus chimed in. "It seemed almost like it was expecting to find you instead of us."

There was a long pause, then VEGA spoke.

"I believe I know the nature of the demon you encountered, but to provide you with the details would require a substantial amount of time, and seeing as how the demonic threat has passed, we will both be moving on—"

"Well, well, well! Guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you two sac-tappers bein' the ones to clear this place out!" a new and familiar voice called from behind the Doom Slayer.

Glancing around the Slayer's bulk, Atreus saw none other than Brok and Sindri approaching, the two dwarf brothers likely choosing now to emerge from wherever they had hunkered down during the demonic invasion. Brok was sauntering towards them with his hands on his hips, and Sindri had a cloth covering his nose and mouth, likely to avoid the stench of blood and guts that still permeated the travel room.

"Uh, hey Brok. Hey Sindri…" Atreus said, not entirely sure that right now was the best time for the dwarves to enter the encounter.

"Whatcha soundin' so fuckin' distraught fer?" Brok chortled, his well-meaning but rude mannerisms showing themselves yet again as he came closer. "Lest ya not forget it was me whose been—great Garmr's gonads! Just what in the four corners are you wearing?!"

Brok and Sindri hastened over to the Doom Slayer at the sight of his strange armor, and within seconds, the dwarves were circling the Slayer like hawks, looking at the suit up and down like it was some sort of golden treasure. The Slayer eyed them warily, and Kratos growled at the dwarves' interruption.

"We do not have time for this," Kratos rumbled.

"Hold yer fuckin' wad, ya big oaf," Brok said, raising his hand in a halting gesture without taking his eyes off of the Slayer's armor. "You remember when I told ya I know quality? Well this here is a fine example of quality!"

"Indeed!" Sindri chimed in, his voice muffled from the cloth over his face. "The level of precision on the additive welding is unlike anything I've ever seen before! Such mastery is rarely ever encountered…"

Lost in his thoughts, Sindri absentmindedly reached out and touched some of the leg plating on the suit. His eyes snapped open all of a sudden, and he jerked his hand back as though it were on fire.

"It's…it's filthy!" Sindri gagged, turning away and retching at the sight of all the gore on the Doom Slayer's armor.

"That, _and_ it's beat to shit!" Brok said, placing his hands on his hips once more. He circled back around and looked up at the Doom Slayer through his cracked visor.

"Just what sort of beast you been tusslin' with to damage such robust craftsmanship? The fuckin' World Serpent could swallow this thing, crap it back out, and then swallow it again and there'd be not so much as a scratch on it! So just what did ya do?!"

"The Praetor Suit was damaged during an altercation with a superhuman from an alternate dimension," VEGA replied kindly.

"An alternate _what_ now?" Brok asked.

"An alternate-"

"Nevermind, whatever!"

A beat of silence passed, then Brok placed his hands on his hips and stared up at the cracked visor.

"So ya want we should fix it up, or what?"

Kratos growled angrily at Brok's offer to the Doom Slayer, but the dwarf silenced him.

"Aw hush up, he's fine!" Brok said.

"But Brok, why would you offer to help him if you didn't know his intentions?" Atreus asked curiously.

"Two things, ya little turd," Brok said lifting his fingers for emphasis. "One: I ain't gotten a chance to work on something this fine since we made that axe fer yer dear ol' ma! And two: if'n this guy decides to try somethin' funny, we got you two to tear him up!"

Brok let out a hardy laugh, and Sindri finally rejoined the conversation after emptying the contents of his stomach.

"I agree with my brother, which is not something that happens quite often, mind you. But please for the love of all things good and pure, can we please take this somewhere that is not as horrifically filthy as this?!"

Atreus glanced at his father uncertainly, who grumbled and slowly sheathed his blades. VEGA chose then to speak up from inside the armor.

"You're offer is generous. However, I am skeptical that you possess the expertise to properly repair the Praetor Suit. It possesses components that cannot be operated on with simple smithing materials."

"Are those 'special' components damaged?" Brok asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"At the moment, they are not. However, I must advise-"

"If they ain't damaged, then quit yer bellyaching! I know you got some fancy gizmos in there, but we're not even gonna get below the surface of the damn thing, so they'll be fine!"

The Slayer looked down at the dwarf for a long moment, the nodded his head once in approval.

"Well al-fuckin'-right then! Let's do this!"

…

Kratos and Atreus leaned against the wall back in Brok and Sindri's workshop, one watching with wariness and the other watching with interest as the two dwarves hammered away at the Doom Slayer's armor. At first, they had asked the warrior to take it off so that they could make the necessary repairs, but the Slayer had blatantly refused. Despite griping from both Brok and Sindri, the Slayer refused to step out of the armor. Though they both grumbled about it, the Huldra brothers begrudgingly admitted that they could repair the armor without removing it from his body, so he remained armored, and the Dwarves set upon him with their tools.

So far, Brok had made the most progress, as many of the dents he had worked on were now completely gone, and many of the scratches faded as well. Sindri on the other hand, was attempting to work around many of the "filthy" spots on the armor, but due to the nature of the Slayer, there were in fact very few spots he deemed clean enough. Eventually, the germaphobic dwarf gave up, and came around to the Slayer's front as he stood still.

"Alright, if you want me to repair the helmet, you're going to have to take it off," Sindri said, holding his ground despite the slight tremble in his voice.

Silence fell throughout the workshop. Even Brok had stopped hammering in order to see the Slayer's reaction to Sindri's request.

The Slayer stared down at the dwarf, but didn't make a move to remove his head armor.

"Look," Sindri said irritably. "To repair the faceplate alone requires a fine level of concentration and finesse that I cannot achieve with your head still in it. If you leave it on, then I can't do anything."

The Slayer remained silent, but Atreus thought he saw the Slayer's gaze flit over to him and Kratos for a brief moment.

The silence dragged on for a moment or two longer, then the Doom Slayer slowly lifted his gauntleted hands up to his helmet. There was a small hiss as the seal of the armor was broken, and then the Slayer lifted the helmet off of his head.

For a moment, nobody moved as they all saw his face for the first time.

The first and perhaps most important thing Atreus noticed was that the Slayer was, in fact, human. After their fight with that axe demon inside the travel room, the boy had been worried that the Doom Slayer had been a demon all along. He felt a great sense of relief wash over him, and he released a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

The second thing that Atreus noticed was that the Slayer seemed to have this ever-permanent scowl on his face. The expression displayed the overwhelming sense of determination and indomitability that he portrayed even with his helmet on, but now Atreus could sense the never ceasing restlessness that the Slayer felt to kill demons. With a scowl like that, Atreus doubted that the man would ever smile.

Mimir was the first one to speak up from where he had been propped up on a shelf.

"Well, I'd say the mask doesn't quite do you justice, does it? You've got yourself a right handsome face there, brother!"

Brok scoffed.

"Yeah right…at least as handsome as ya can hope to get without a beard…"

Atreus felt a smirk rise to his face at Brok's quip. He noticed that apart from himself, the Doom Slayer was the only one present without any facial hair.

Sparing another glance up to his father, Atreus was pleased to see that Kratos had relaxed somewhat, likely due to the fact that the Slayer had been human after all. Like his son, Kratos had probably assumed the worst after their fight with that axe demon, and seeing the Slayer's face had taken away some of the riskiness of the situation.

"Well, alright then," Sindri said awkwardly as he carried the helmet over to his workbench. The Slayer's eyes tracked him the entire time, likely ensuring that nothing happened to his armor that he did not approve of.

Thing were silent for a little while longer save for the combined hammering of Brok and Sindri, then Atreus decided to speak up.

"VEGA, you said that you might know who that axe demon we fought was?"

"Indeed," VEGA replied. "Under present circumstances, I believe I have ample time to provide you with an explanation…"

VEGA then proceeded to weave a tale that was unlike any other Atreus had heard. The tale encompassed the demons, how the Slayer had battled them for many, many winters, some strange people called the Argenta and their gods, and how a bloody civil war had torn them apart. Before long, Atreus had taken his notebook back out and was furiously scribbling notes from VEGA's tale.

According to VEGA, the axe demon they had fought was called a marauder, and it was one of the fiercest warriors the demonic hordes had to offer. In another life, the marauders had been among the ranks of the Argenta but had sided with the demons when the civil war had split them apart. When the marauders fell in battle, they were resurrected into the twisted demon forms that Atreus had witnessed firsthand. And now, they were now sworn to hunt the Doom Slayer. Their quest had been ongoing for quite some time, long enough that even VEGA did not know the exact length. The one they had fought had likely heard a report that the Slayer was the one destroying their gore nests and had moved to intercept him, but had found Kratos and Atreus instead.

Atreus had so many questions, but before he could open his mouth, Brok interrupted with a final tap of his hammer to the Slayer's chest plate.

"That should do her. Give her a once over, why don't ya?"

The Slayer inspected the reparations to his armor, and from what Atreus could see, it looked like there had never been any damage in the first place. In fact, the armor looked almost brand new.

As the Doom Slayer continued to inspect his repaired suit, VEGA's voice spoke up from the torso.

"What manner of manufacturing did you use? I am unfamiliar with any disciplines that can achieve superior results such as these."

Brok chortled.

"Just a little somethin' called 'a dwarf's touch' ya creepy spirit voice. And no, I ain't tellin' ya the secret to it because then it wouldn't be much of a secret, now would it?"

"While that logic is indeed sound, I do not believe any harm will come from—"

"How bout ya shut yer nonexistent mouth and just be fuckin' grateful?!" Brok snapped crossing his arms. "Let's not forget I'm doin' this for free!"

"You are correct. I apologize," VEGA said. "The final result is far better than we could've hoped for."

"Yer damn right, it is!" Brok said, his smile returning to his face. "And that's also 'cause I decided to treat yer tin hide there to some reinforcin' materials from my stock! She ain't just good as new, she's better than new! So, next time it's gonna be a lot harder for ya to bang her up like whatca did before."

At his words, the Doom Slayer gave a grateful nod down to Brok, though the slight scowl never left his face.

"And…there!" Sindri said with a final tap of his hammer to the helmet. Atreus looked and saw that just like the armor, the helmet also looked good as new. The scratches and the crack in the faceplate were completely gone. The strange red mark still existed just above where the left eye would be, but Atreus figured that was probably put there by something that would never buff out.

Walking over to the Slayer, Sindri offered the repaired helmet to him.

"I _also_ have some improvements," Sindri said proudly as the Slayer took the helmet from him.

"As many of you already know, I am a prodigy in the elusive ways of Vanir magic. As such, I saw fit to imbue a little bit of extra protection in the form of a spell!"

As the Slayer's face disappeared back under the helmet once more, Sindri took a bowl of glowing powder and rubbed it all over his gloved hands. Once the hands were completely coated, Sindri traced a rune on the front of the Slayer's chest plate, the magic powder glowing prominently on the suit where his fingers traced.

 _"_ _Fullkominn…"_ Sindri whispered, the rune glowing even brighter as Sindri recited it.

The rune then faded slowly, and as it disappeared entirely, Sindri began tracing another over it.

 _"Vernd…"_ Sindri whispered once more, and this time, the entire suit glowed brightly before the rune faded once more. Stepping back to admire his handiwork, Sindri smiled proudly.

"All done!"

"Perfect...Protection..." VEGA recited, startling Sindri with his knowledge of the words.

"Y-yes! That's right! Are you a student of _Seiður_ as well?"

"I am not," VEGA replied. "However, the language you utilize for your magic is congruent with a common tongue used in our home dimension."

"Really?" Sindri asked, raising an eyebrow contemplatively.

"Yes," VEGA's voice said calmly. "It is known as Icelandic."

"Icelandic, you say? Perhaps I should endeavor to visit sometime..."

"Aw shut yer gob, ya milksop!" Brok said irritatedly. "Ain't ya remember that this tosser has got somewhere to be?"

Sindri looked slightly downtrodden, but VEGA chose that moment to speak again.

"I am afraid he is correct. But before we depart, please allow me to extend gratitude on behalf of both of us for repairing the Praetor Suit. I am regretful that we have nothing to offer you in return."

The Doom Slayer seemed to consider VEGA's words for a moment, then turned and walked back into the realm travel room, easily pushing the doors open and disappearing into the dimly lit interior, much to the confusion of everyone present. There was no sound for a few moments, then the Slayer reemerged, the marauder's axe grasped firmly in one of his hands.

Atreus's eyes widened. He had assumed that the axe had burned up with the marauder after they'd killed it, but the Slayer had suddenly arrived, and he had forgotten to even check.

The axe head was deactivated, so the handle appeared to be nothing more than just…well, a handle. Looking at the design, Atreus saw a skull sitting at the top of the handle where the axe head emerged, giving the weapon a rather sinister look overall.

Brok snorted as the Slayer walked over with the weapon.

"A fancy hunk of metal? That's what you got fer us?"

The Doom Slayer said nothing, but instead held the axe out to the side. With a loud hiss, the axe head activated, the red energy taking a hardened shape once more. At the sight, both Brok and Sindri's eyes boggled.

"Now _that's_ deadly!"

"And so sophisticated!"

"Give 'er here!"

The Doom Slayer returned the axe to its deactivated state and set it down on the bench, and Brok and Sindri immediately scooped it up and turned to examine it with a closer look.

"I hope it will suffice," VEGA said politely.

"Yeah, yeah, it's great. Now leave us alone!" Brok said without even bothering to turn his head away from his evaluation of the weapon.

The Slayer spared the two dwarves a glance as they fawned over the axe, then looked over to Kratos and Atreus.

"I am afraid we must depart," VEGA said. "We cannot afford to remain long in each realm that we come to."

"Oh," Atreus said wistfully. "But I still had so many questions…"

"I'm sorry that they must go unanswered, Atreus," VEGA said. "But perhaps we will meet again one day."

"Hopefully under better circumstances," Mimir joked. "I gotta say, it was nice to have someone else without arms to talk to, so thanks for that!"

"It was my pleasure, Mimir."

Kratos then stepped forward and offered his arm to the Doom Slayer, a gesture that Atreus recognized as one of respect among warriors. The Slayer returned the gesture and nodded to Kratos, who nodded back. Seeing them stand across from each other, Atreus noticed for the first time that Kratos towered over the armored figure. But despite that, the two of them looked at each other as equals.

"I doubted your intentions when we first met," Kratos said. "But you in turn did right by us, and you have my gratitude for that. I will not forget this kindness."

The Slayer nodded once more, then took a step back into the center of the room. After looking at each of them once more, the Slayer lifted his right hand and gave them a thumbs up. A flash of blue light immediately engulfed his form followed by a loud bang, and when the light faded, the Doom Slayer was gone.

 ** _..._**

 ** _A/N: There it is! The God of War has met the God of Slaughter, and it went about how one would expect in my opinion. As always, be sure to leave a review of my work describing your love/hatred for the chapter, or if you want to share your opinion privately, please by all means shoot me a personal message. I'd love to hear from you guys no matter how you communicate with me!_**

 ** _Now, at this current juncture, I have a very critical decision to make. Do I continue with my current setting of placing the slayer between the events of 2016 and Eternal? Or do I insert a time skip and pick up after Eternal has ended?_**

 ** _In all honesty, I am leaning towards leaving everything as it is and keeping this story sandwiched between the two games, but I want to hear everyone's thoughts on the matter before I make my final decision. I want to hear what your take on my dilemma is so that I can paint a complete picture before committing to a certain path. Obviously I understand that in the end it is still my decision, but I want to make sure that there is nothing that I have missed before moving forward. So, oh wise and noble consumers of my literary material, what do you think?_**


	29. Interlude IV

Interlude IV (Animal Crossing)

VEGA immediately registered the anomaly as they emerged from dimensional space once more. Unfortunately, the tether had chosen to deposit them into the lower atmosphere of an unknown planet this time, meaning that as of arriving in this new dimension, the Doom Slayer was now plummeting through the air and towards the ground.

VEGA immediately began learning what little he could about their situation as the Doom Slayer oriented himself to stop their spinning. Audio sensors registered nothing save for the whistling of air as it rushed past them, so VEGA made use of visual and quantitative data instead.

Accounting for the pressure of the air and the calculated gravitational constant of this new planet, VEGA immediately confirmed that given the Slayer's aerodynamic profile, it was impossible for them to achieve a falling speed great enough to cause significant damage.

VEGA's conclusion was further solidified as he took note of their altitude, which had only been a mere twenty meters above the planet's surface.

Unfortunately for them both, the low altitude of their entry did not give them enough time to alter their trajectory by much, a fact that VEGA found irksome due to the fact that they were currently plummeting towards a small town or village of some kind. Given that they were approximately 2.0274 seconds impact, VEGA wasted no time in trying to give the Slayer a heading to aim for and instead calculated their impact point.

Confirming the results, VEGA was less than pleased with what his analysis showed. Seeing that he could take no action to help mitigate what was about to occur, VEGA did the only thing he could:

"Please brace for impact."

…

Isabelle beamed as she finished organizing her desk. After letting it get so cluttered recently, she was happy to finally return things to their proper space. Taking a deep breath, Isabelle took a seat from her work, the bells in her headband jingling softly as she leaned back in the chair.

It had been quite some time since the mayor had departed for the Smash Tournament, and while Isabelle and the rest of the townsfolk had been happy that their leader had been presented with such an opportunity, the departure had the ill result of increasing her workload quite a bit.

In addition to her usual duties, Isabelle had also absorbed quite a few of the mayor's tasks in their absence. She had been happy to help out of course, but there were times that her new tasks required her to make important decisions for the town, and no matter how obvious the correct choice seemed, Isabelle always felt a little worried if she had done the right thing. She always did her best, but being in charge was hard sometimes, and Isabelle wondered if she was doing as good of a job as she hoped.

Suddenly, Isabelle's ears perked up as she heard a loud commotion from outside. It sounded like a large booming noise, and she immediately became worried that someone was hurt. Rushing from her desk and out the doors of town hall, Isabelle frantically looked left and right to search for the source of the noise, and to her surprise, she saw Rosie running towards her, a shocked expression on her features as she hurried over.

"Rosie!" Isabelle said in alarm. "What's wrong? Is everything ok?"

"Isabelle! Come quickly! A giant just fell on the new home next to the river!"

"A…giant?" Isabelle asked incredulously.

"Yes!" Rosie said with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. "It's really big! And it's wearing a really weird suit! I think it might be a _space_ giant!"

The story was quite outlandish, even for Rosie, but she seemed very excited about it, so Isabelle trotted after her as she led the way.

After a short stretch of jogging after Rosie, Isabelle saw the house come into view, or more accurately, what was left of it. The town was expecting a new resident to arrive tomorrow morning, and Tom Nook had been hard at work making sure that the house was ready on time for their arrival. He had just put the finishing touches on it yesterday, but now it had been reduced a barely recognizable pile of shingles and siding. Isabelle felt a twinge of sadness at all of the hard work gone to waste, but her attention was quickly diverted to what she saw next.

Standing next to the pile of rubble and dwarfing it by comparison was a person of monstrous size. Now seeing firsthand that Rosie's story was indeed true, Isabelle gaped up at the person, craning her neck to try and see just how tall they were. This figure was even taller than the trees that stood around the town, and as Isabelle looked the giant's head to its feet, she saw that even with her hair tied up like it was, she was barely over the figure's knees in height.

Isabelle tried to see the giant's face, but it was covered by a dark green helmet with an opaque visor to match. The figure looked back down at her with curiosity, and Isabelle gulped and offered a small wave with her hand.

"Ah…h…hello!" she offered, trying to sound cheery and bright despite her nervousness. "Did…did you fall? Are you alright?"

"Hello," came a voice from the suit. "We are uninjured. Thank you for asking. I sincerely hope no one else was hurt when we landed."

The voice was kind and polite, and both Isabelle and Rosie relaxed at its comforting tone.

"No one was hurt, thank goodness," Rosie chimed in. "I was the only one nearby when it happened. Are you sure that you're ok? You completely destroyed the home when you landed!"

"The armor protected us from harm," the voice replied. "I am grateful for your concern, but please do not worry. I am more troubled by the damage that we have done to this structure. Did this dwelling belong to either of you?"

Isabelle shook her head no and explained that it was for a resident that was moving in tomorrow, then proceeded to introduce both herself and Rosie to the strange giant. She then raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"I'm sorry, but why do you keep calling yourself 'we', Mr…uh…?"

"I am VEGA," the voice finished politely. "I use the term 'we' because I am not the one wearing this armor. I am merely an artificial intelligence that resides within the armor's systems."

"An artificial what-now?" Rosie asked.

"An artificial intelligence. A synthesized lifeform," VEGA clarified. "If it helps, you may think of me as an advanced computer that can speak."

"But if you're not the one wearing the armor, then who is?"

"That would be the Doom Slayer," VEGA replied. The giant nodded once at the mention of his name.

"Wow! So, you are both partners, then!" Isabelle said cheerfully. "But did you really fall out of the sky?"

"Yes, we did. We landed here from a place very far away. We were attempting to return but accidentally arrived here instead."

"Oh…I'm very sorry to hear that. Is there any way that we can help, Mr. VEGA?"

"I am of the opinion that we should be the ones helping you," VEGA replied, his point causing the Doom Slayer to nod in agreement and gesture to the destroyed house.

Isabelle then understood. The two of them wanted to fix what they had broken, and the thought of them wanting to make amends brought a cheerful smile to her face.

"Oh, are you sure? Thank you so much! I was worried that we wouldn't have a place for our new resident to stay tomorrow, but if you are offering to help rebuild the house, then we'd gladly accept your help!"

With Rosie and the Doom Slayer in tow, Isabelle ventured over to Nook's Cranny to inform Tom Nook about what had happened. At first, Tom had been upset that the house he had built was completely destroyed, but his mood improved greatly when he heard that the Doom Slayer and VEGA were offering to repair it free of charge. He directed them to the back of his shop where he kept his tools and materials, and soon the three of them were all walking back to where the house once stood.

Isabelle and Rosie both carried a bucket of paint in their arms, and the Doom Slayer carried everything else, which was no small amount of materials. The two villagers marveled at how strong the giant man was, and they both giggled when Rosie made a joke about Roald wanting to steal his workout routines.

As soon as they made it back, the Slayer immediately began construction on the house. Both Isabelle and Rosie were surprised when they saw how fast he worked; his hulking strength paralleled only by his attention to detail in building a solid foundation. Isabelle and Rosie helped where they could, offering him tools when he required them and helping keep the work area clean. Isabelle thought it was funny to watch the Slayer work with such small equipment. Since the nails were the of pins to him, he did not even bother to use the hammer. He just tapped the nails into place with his palm.

Despite neither Rosie nor Isabelle saying a word to anyone except Tom Nook about a giant in their town, word spread rather quickly, and soon nearly everyone had ventured out to the construction site to see him.

Like Isabelle, everyone was surprised by just how large the man was, and because no one could see his face, everyone soon began to gossip about what he looked like without his suit. Some thought that he might be a space alien, while others thought that he was a robot. Some still persisted that he was a human like the mayor. No one idea was more valid than the other, however, and despite asking VEGA multiple questions, no one could figure it out.

Eventually, everyone went back to their own activities, leaving the Slayer alone to work on the house. Only Isabelle stayed behind to help, as Rosie said she was going to go pick some flowers for their new resident arriving tomorrow.

Thanks to the Slayer's size and strength, the house was rebuilt in no time, and the only task that remained was to paint it. At this point, Isabelle became very excited, as this was a task that she could take a more active role in.

Eagerly hopping over to one of the cans, Isabelle fruitlessly attempted to open it, her inability to break the seal becoming quite obvious as she yanked and pulled on the lid.

After watching her struggle for a brief moment, the Slayer came over and showed her how to do it by demonstrating with his own paint can. Taking a screwdriver, which looked more like a toothpick in his massive hands, the Slayer carefully tucked the tip under the lid and used the length of the screwdriver as a lever to pry the paint can open. Isabelle watched closely the entire time, and when the Slayer had completely removed the lid from his can, he carefully passed the screwdriver over to her so that she could try.

Setting her jaw, Isabelle placed the tip of the screwdriver under the lid just like the Slayer had, and slowly but firmly, she pushed down on the handle to pry the lid off, and she was rewarded with a soft pop as the lid's seal was broken.

Smiling pridefully, Isabelle then removed the lid without any issue and passed a paintbrush over to the Slayer. Before long, they had both fallen into a comfortable pace as they painted the exterior of the new home.

Even though it was work, Isabelle actually found herself having quite a bit of fun, and she smiled and started humming a little tune before a thought crossed her mind.

"Mr. Slayer, is it true that you accidentally landed in our town when you were trying to return home?"

The Slayer paused his brush for a moment, then answered her question with a nod.

"Well…if you can't find your way back home, you could stay here if you wanted to. I mean, you're really good at building houses, so you could make one here really easily!"

The Slayer looked over to Isabelle once more, and even though he didn't say a word, she could tell by the small shake of his head that he could not accept her offer. Isabelle couldn't help but feel a bit sad that her new friend couldn't stay, but she perked back up and smiled as another thought crossed her mind.

"Well that's alright. Even still, please feel free and come back and visit again! Hopefully the mayor will be back by then, so you two can meet each other!"

The Slayer nodded once and gave Isabelle a thumbs up with his left hand, and she felt her tail wag happily at his desire to visit again one day.

"I would be content to return some day as well, Isabelle," VEGA said cordially from inside the suit. "I find your town and its people to be very hospitable."

Isabelle blushed and thanked VEGA for his compliment, continuing her happy tune as she continued to paint her wall.

Once they had finished, Isabelle helped the Doom Slayer pack their materials back up so they could return them to Nook's Cranny. By then, the sun had begun to set in the horizon, casting the town in a golden-orange glow that Isabelle found to be very beautiful.

As the Slayer stepped forward in the direction of the shop, Isabelle hung back a moment, folding her hands in front of herself and shuffling her feet sheepishly.

"Um…Mr. Slayer?"

He stopped and turned back to her inquisitively.

"Can I maybe…stand on your shoulder on the way back? I've never been that high up before, and I wanted to see what it was like…"

The Slayer considered for a moment, then nodded once and got down onto one knee. Shifting all of the materials he was carrying to one arm, he held his free hand down on the ground with the palm up, inviting her to climb on.

Feeling overly excited at the approval of her request, Isabelle jumped forward and clamored onto his hand, which was easily large enough for her to stand in without too much trouble.

Once he was sure she was stable, the Slayer stood back up to his full height and placed Isabelle gently onto his shoulder, who quickly found her footing and held onto his helmet for stability.

"Wow!" Isabelle exclaimed, looking out over the town from her newfound vantage point.

"I can see everything from up here! Look, there's my house, and town hall, and the museum, too!"

The Doom Slayer seemed satisfied with her excitement, and he took his time returning to Tom Nook's store so that Isabelle could enjoy the experience longer. During that time, Isabelle enjoyed the sunset like she never had before. The grandeur of the waning day all lay before her without any obstacles blocking her view, and she admired the colors swimming across the sky as the Slayer walked across the land.

After they had dropped or their items and assured Tom that the home was in tip-top shape for tomorrow, VEGA informed Isabelle that it was finally time for them to leave. Isabelle felt sadness fall on her shoulders at the news, but before the Slayer could put her down, she quickly had an idea.

"Wait!" she said. "Can we stop by the town hall first? I want to give you something to thank you for all of your hard work today!"

With agreement from both VEGA and the Doom Slayer, Isabelle happily pointed the way from his shoulder, and in no time, they had arrived back at city hall once more, where the Doom Slayer set her back on the ground once more.

Promising to be back in just a second, Isabelle ran inside and hastily rummaged through her desk, looking for something in particular. After a few fruitless moments of searching, she heard a familiar jingling noise and her fingers brushed up against the familiar elastic material of one of her spare headbands.

Grinning from ear to ear, Isabelle hurried back outside with her two headbands jingling erratically as she ran. The Doom Slayer watched her as she skidded to a stop in front of him, and after pausing a moment to catch her breath, Isabelle proudly offered the spare headband to the Slayer.

"Take this with you!" she said enthusiastically. "That way you won't forget about us or the fun memories we made today!"

Leaning down, the Doom Slayer gently took the headband and examined it through his visor. He seemed to like the gift, and after a moment of brief consideration, he reached behind himself and produced a gift of his own.

The object in his hand was larger than the headband she had given him, and before she could ask what it was, the Doom Slayer set it down on the grass in front of her.

It was a miniature version of the Doom Slayer, a toy that had been built to look like him in his suit of armor. The details were all there, and despite looking rather small in his hands, the toy stood almost to Isabelle's chin now that they were on the same level.

Taking in his gift to her, Isabelle felt her heart overflow with joy.

"I love it!" she squealed happily, picking up the toy with both hands and holding it up to her face. "Thank you so much!"

The Doom Slayer nodded once before kneeling down and holding out his fist in a friendly gesture.

Setting the toy down carefully, Isabelle eagerly bumped his fist with her own, her smile so wide that she felt it might freeze there. She had made a brand-new friend today, and now they both had something to remember each other by.

Standing back up, the Doom Slayer took a step back, and Isabelle did the same.

"Goodbye, Mr. VEGA! Goodbye Mr. Slayer! I hope to see you again soon!"

"I do as well, Isabelle. Take care," VEGA said.

Lifting his right hand, the Doom Slayer made another thumbs up, and this time, a bright flash of blue light engulfed his form followed by a loud bang. Isabelle blinked her eyes against the glare, but before her eyes could adjust, the light faded, and the Slayer was gone.

Turning back to the miniature toy Slayer, Isabelle moved to pick it up before she heard approaching footsteps from behind her. Turning around curiously, she saw none other than Pete the mailman approaching with a letter in his hand.

"Hello Isabelle! I have a letter for you!" Pete said. "I'm sorry I couldn't deliver it sooner, but it fell under the table this morning, and I didn't find it until now."

As Pete walked up, he noticed the toy Doom Slayer standing in the grass next to Isabelle.

"Wow! That looks very nice, Isabelle! Where did you get it?"

Isabelle looked back at the figurine and smiled broadly.

"It was a gift…from a very good friend."

"How thoughtful of them!" Pete said before handing her the letter.

"Thank you, Pete! I'll see you tomorrow," Isabelle said as Pete waved and went back the way he came.

Looking down quizzically at the letter, Isabelle noticed that the seal was of some strange symbol that she did not recognize. It was certainly addressed to her, but there was no return address, making the origin of the letter as mysterious as its seal.

Sparing a glance over to the Slayer toy, Isabelle playfully held the letter up to it.

"What do you think of this, Lil' Mr. Slayer? Have you seen this before?"

The figurine said nothing in response, and Isabelle jovially noted that the real Doom Slayer would've reacted the exact same way.

"Well, let's get inside, and then we'll take a look!" Isabelle said determinedly, picking up the little Slayer with one arm and walking back into the town hall.

...

 ** _A/N: I'm not sure if you could tell, but I've been wanting to write this chapter for a little while. Quite honestly, it might be the first chapter I've written where nobody gets hurt, so there's a first!_**


	30. Slender

Slender

 _ **A/N: Oh hello there! I'm back with another chapter! This one is not as incredibly long of course, but I like to think it plays its own narrative while simultaneously setting the stage for the chapter that follows after this one. As always, please enjoy and remember that I own none of this!**_

 _ **...**_

Agent Jacobs sighed as he approached the asylum, and he half-mindedly beeped the Crown Vic behind him to make sure it was locked. He had learned long ago that you couldn't be too careful with using assigned vehicles, so he always double checked that it was locked when he parted from it. Usually the thought of someone pilfering through his transport was enough to put him in a dour mood for the rest of the day, but unfortunately for Jacobs, the details of today's assignment had already dampened his spirits.

Less than a day ago, another missing person case had sprung up, which brought the total number of cases up to twenty-five in the last month. That number by itself wasn't anything to be alarmed about, as statistically fifty thousand people were reported missing a month in the United States alone, but these twenty-five stood out specifically because all of these twenty-five cases had been children under the age of ten, and they all had been reported in a very small area: the Douglas State Forest.

Now, folks had been going missing in the forest for as long as Jacobs could remember, but twenty-five in the span of one month? And all of them children younger than ten? That was a very high number given the criteria, and at this point, the case was now above the pay grade of the Worcester County Sherriff's Office. It was time for the feds to get involved, and at first, Jacobs had been excited to have the case assigned to him. He hadn't had the chance to get out of the field office in a long time, and this was a great opportunity to solidify his reputation to the chief. If all went well, he could see more high-level cases coming his way soon, and after that…well, who knew?

The case, however, had proven to be as difficult as they came. Each time Jacobs ventured out into the field in search of leads or clues as to the crimes, he would always come back with almost nothing. The children would be walking home from a friend's house or biking on the road, but after that, they would just completely disappear without a trace. No bloodstains, no signs of struggle, no tracks of any kind. The best thing Jacobs had found was an abandoned bike on the side of the road that had belonged to one of the missing children, but that trail had gone cold almost as soon as he began following it. He had been stuck for quite a while, until just recently. Another child had been reported missing in the area, and this time, there was a witness.

Jacobs had been ecstatic to hear the news, as eyewitness evidence could give him a description of a suspect, which by itself opened many doors to possible ways to find the culprit behind this. Even with something as small as if the suspect wore a mask, Jacobs could work with it. It was his job to do so. The wind had left his sails in a heartbeat though as soon as he'd learned the nature of the witness:

Her name was Marie Tejada, the older sister of the child who'd been kidnapped, and she was the reason that he was visiting the insane asylum today. Apparently, she had gone into the woods looking for her younger sister, Sophie, who had not been home in time for dinner. During her search, she had apparently come across the one behind the kidnapping but had failed to stop them before they had taken Sophie away. According to the doctors, the event had stripped her of her sanity and left her mind in shambles, giving her horrible tremors in her limbs and greatly limiting her motor functions. She could still speak and listen, but she was not quite "all there" as the staff put it. When asked questions, Marie would never give a straight answer, or sometimes she did not answer at all. She seemed at least mildly aware of her surroundings, though, and the doctors reminded Jacobs that he may not be able to get much out of her, especially since the trauma of the event was still fresh on her mind.

Jacobs took another deep breath as he entered through ward's main entrance, and a polite receptionist welcomed him and took his name before informing him that they were waiting for him in visiting room B. Jacobs thanked the receptionist and quickly made his way over to the direction indicated. A doctor was waiting for him.

"Agent Jacobs," the doctor said. "I am Doctor Driskel. I am Marie's personal psychiatrist. I believe we've spoken over the phone?"

"Indeed," Jacobs said, exchanging a friendly handshake with the doctor. "I appreciate that you're allowing me time to speak with Marie. The F.B.I. also thanks you for your cooperation in this matter."

Doctor Driskel gave a courteous nod.

"Thank _you_ for consulting me with this interrogation," she said. "Some feds I've worked with in the past have been more…forceful, shall we say."

"I see," Jacobs replied. "Well, I try to work with people on things, I find it often leads to better cooperation."

Dr. Driskel gave a small nod of approval, but then her face hardened.

"I'm aware that you came here to ask her about the incident, Agent Jacobs. And while I am trying to help you the best I can, I must remind you of the fragile state Marie is in right now. We are making progress with improving her speech and motor capabilities, but there is a small chance that reliving those traumatic experiences could worsen her condition. I know you can't make promises, so I am asking you to please not push a question if it unsettles her too much."

Jacobs sighed. This was the part he had been afraid of. If he managed to set off the witness somehow by triggering those painful memories of hers, then he could not only worsen her mental state, but also lose any chance of getting her to share more with him. Any way he looked at it, treading carefully was the best approach in this case.

"I believe that it is in both of our interests that such a thing doesn't happen, doctor," Jacobs said. "I will make sure to gauge her reaction to the best of my ability."

At this, Jacobs saw Doctor Driskel visibly relax at his words, and she nodded once more before slowly turning and opening the door to visiting room B. The room itself was circular with no corners. One curved wall stretched all the way around, and a painted landscape of small hills and trees were displayed proudly. Jacobs supposed that it was meant to put patients at ease.

In the center of the room, a young woman with jet black hair that went down to her shoulders was seated at the table. The woman was dressed in a baggy pair of pants and a large grey shirt to match, the mandatory apparel for all patients within the ward.

As Jacobs saw her for the first time, he noted that her description over the phone had been accurate. Her entire body seemed restless, and a visible tremor was in her arms and her legs, the erratic vibrations spreading even to her fingers as she inspected what looked like a rubik's cube in her hands. The woman did not look up from her cube as Jacobs and Dr. Driskel approached, and Jacobs noticed that she had a slight twitch in her neck as well.

"Marie…" Dr. Driskel said kindly. "You have a visitor! He's come to ask you a few questions."

At the doctor's words, Marie's gaze finally flitted to Jacobs, her eyes barely spending more than a half of a second on him before returning to her cube. Her eyes darted to him again after another half second, then returned to her cube.

"Suit…" she murmured; her words not quite as articulated as an average person's but still understandable.

"Suit…suity…suit…suit-and-tie…suit like him…suit like him…"

Jacobs shared a glance with Dr. Driskel, then took a seat across from Marie and gave her a smile of his own.

"Hello Marie! I'm Agent Jacobs. It's nice to meet you!"

"Nice…nice…" Marie echoed absentmindedly. "Nice day…sun is high…"

"It is a nice day, isn't it?" Jacobs said, noticing that Dr. Driskel took up a position leaning against the wall to quietly observe the conversation. Jacobs watched as Marie fiddled with her cube for a moment, then decided that it was time to delve into the weeds.

"Marie? You said I'm wearing a suit…like him? May I ask who he is?"

A tense silence fell, and Jacobs immediately knew that the "he" was somehow tied to his case. The only problem came from how Marie answered the question, or even if she chose to answer it at all.

"Bad…bad suit man…"

"A bad man in a suit?"

"suit…suit and tie…bad man…"

"Can you tell me what he looks like?"

"Look…no…no…don't look…or he takes…takes you away…" Marie shook her head.

Jacobs spared Dr. Driskel another glance to see if she was close to intervening, but the doctor gave him a small nod to indicate that he could continue.

"If you look at him, he takes you?" he asked carefully.

"Look…look is bad…I look…he try to take me…took…took Sophie…"

Marie seemed upset, yet she still seemed to be in control of herself.

"Did you see his face, Marie?"

"Face…" Marie echoed. "No face…face…gone. No eyes…still see…no mouth…still eat…"

"The man had no eyes or mouth?" Jacobs reiterated, taking out his notebook and jotting down a few notes.

"No mouth…no eyes…bright white…like the moon…"

 _Suspect described as male and lacking facial features, possibly Caucasian, and wearing a suit…_

"Man…man like tree…tall man…thin man…"

 _…witness describes suspect as tall and slender._

Jacobs finished jotting it down, then looked back up at Marie and took a deep breath.

"Marie, can you tell me what happened the night you saw this man?"

…

 _Marie darted between the trees, looking frantically left and right as she called out Sophie's name. It was already well past ten, and the darkness of the night was thick upon the woods around her. Sophie was supposed to have been home an hour ago, and when she hadn't returned, Marie had assumed the worst. She had heard about the growing number of missing children, and she knew that the forest was Sophie's favorite place to play._

 _She had warned her never to go too far into the woods, and now, her worst fears were coming true._

 _"Sophie!" Marie called out desperately into the darkness, shining her flashlight all around._

 _No response came, and Marie forced back the hopelessness she felt at the vast emptiness of these woods. She shook her head and was just about to call out again when something caught her eye through the trees. Hurriedly, Marie ran over to the sight to find a piece of paper hanging on the trunk. The paper itself appeared to be old and stained, but it was the haphazard scribbling on the document that caught her attention. In the center of the page, there was a circle drawn, almost like a cartoonish face. There was no mouth or nose, and in place of the eyes, two large X's had been drawn. Above and below the drawing, Marie noticed that some words had been scribbled as well._

 _"Always Watches…No Eyes…"_

 _Marie stared at the page for a moment, then frantically grabbed it off the tree. The drawing was cryptic and chilling to look at, but if it somehow held a clue to Sophie's disappearance, then Marie would take it with her. Anything to find her sister._

 _Marie hadn't made it more than a few steps before a sudden pain shot through her head, causing her to stumble for a moment as her brain throbbed behind her eyes. She cried out and placed a palm to her temple to try and ease the pain, but it only seemed to increase as she fell to her knees. Her vision blurred with the pain, and Marie also became aware of a distinct ringing in her ears that seemed to be growing louder by the second._

 _What was happening to her? Marie cried out again as the intense pain grew worse still, and her entire body began to tremble as she tried to force herself to her feet. Forcing her eyes open, Marie looked up to see a nightmare appear through her blurred vision._

 _Before her stood a man, but to call him a man would only be true in the loosest definition imaginable. The man stood nearly twice as tall as what could be considered normal, and his frame was extremely thin as well with unnaturally long arms that nearly only hung a foot off the ground. His frightening aura stole Marie's breath from her body, but it was only when she looked upon his face that her sanity left her._

 _A pale blank canvas gazed down upon her form, with no hair or facial features to speak of and no discernable humanity. Through her pain, Marie's mind knew that this was the one that had taken Sophie, and she screamed in anger and agony at the monster before her. In truth, she didn't know if she made any noise at all, as the ringing in her ears had gotten so loud that she couldn't hear anything else._

 _Her vision then began to fade slowly, but as she slipped into unconsciousness, Marie thought she saw a flash of light from behind the creature. And as the light faded, a silhouette emerged from the darkness and fell upon the creature…_

…

"Someone saved you from the man in the suit?" Jacobs asked carefully. Marie's neck and fingers twitched, still focused on the rubik's cube even as she replied.

"Save…someone save…someone in suit…"

"There was another person in a suit? Was it like the suit that the tall man wore?"

"No…not suit and tie…hard…hard suit…green suit…space suit…"

Jacobs nodded with encouragement and continued to jot down his notes.

"How did the one in the space suit save you? Did they fight the tall man?"

"All dark…not see…bells ringing…no hear…but wake up…space man there…"

"You woke up and the space man was there with you in the woods?"

"Took me back…back to home…voice in suit…ask question…tell story…story of suit and tie…"

 _Witness describes being saved by a man in a space suit. Possibly cultist attire? Costume?_

"What story did he tell you?"

"World…big blue Earth…Earth is page…one page…not book…book…book is many pages…and voice…voice different…space man different…from different page…"

Jacobs knew that these were just ravings, but often incoherent ramblings could be attributed to a real experience. He just had to figure out what this story meant.

"The spaceman is from a different page?" he asked, encouraging her further.

"Spaceman…different page…" Marie said affirmingly. "Suit and tie man…different page too…but not same…not spaceman page…different page…"

 _Witness describes the suspect as well as her savior as from different 'pages'. Possibly different countries? Perhaps two warring cults?_

"And they are here, on our page with us?" Jacobs asked. "Why are they on our page?"

"Spaceman…voice…on our page…accident…accidentally come…"

Jacobson nodded as he continued to write down her words. Every piece of information, no matter how farfetched, was important.

"Tall man…tall man is different…came on purpose…came to find…came to harvest…"

Jacobs paused in his writing and glanced over to Dr. Driskel, who shook her head in response. Apparently, she did not know what Marie was talking about either.

 _She says the 'spaceman' came to our page by accident. The assailant did not, he came to our page to find something…_

"And just what is here on our page that the man wants to harvest, Marie?"

Marie then became slightly unsettled and began rocking back and forth slowly in her seat.

"farm…harvest…harvest us…human…but likes younger…takes them back…back to his page…keeps them…saves them for something…"

Jacobs frowned at her words, but continued to write down her words.

 _"The tall man takes the children away." Cannibal? Trafficking?_

"And what did the spaceman do to the man in the suit and tie?" he asked.

"Suit and tie…forced back…back to home page…not forever…voice says…suit and tie…come back…soon…find more…"

Savior drove off the attacker but told the witness that they would be back.

"What did they say after that?"

"Voice…spaceman…stay…stay until come back…then take tall man…take far away…away from home page…so no escape…tear away from page…no run…no escape…then rip…then tear…"

Jacobs frowned at that statement.

 _Witness claims that their savior will take the suspect away from his 'page' and then kill him. Says that he can't escape if he's away from his page. What page? Why can't he escape?_

The rest of the interview proved to be unnecessary, as Marie had apparently told him all that she knew. Despite Marie's outlandish tales, Jacobs felt the interview had gone well. He had never expected the girl to be so lucid, and he had assumed that she would've screamed or broken down at the recollection of the event. Thankfully, that had not been the case, and Jacobs now had much more information to go off of. He had also learned that someone else was involved in this case, a 'spaceman' of sorts. As soon as he got back to the office, he had a lot of research to do. The prospect of possible cult kidnapping or human trafficking had been present from the start, but with this new testimony, Jacobs was certain that he was on the right track.

After thanking both Marie and Dr. Driskel, Jacobs exited the ward. The sun had already gone down, and Jacobs turned on his headlights as he pulled the Crown Vic away from the asylum. The hospital itself stood no further roughly a half an hour drive from the field office, but Jacobs didn't mind the drive, especially since the case had just taken a new turn. This gave him time to mull things over. Just when he thought he had reached another cold trail; the witness had given him some new insights. Marie's testimony was nothing but a fantasy when taken at face value, but if he could decipher the meaning behind her words, he might just have a chance to catch the criminals behind these kidnappings. With a long night of investigation ahead of him, Jacobs turned on the radio and—

Something suddenly struck the side of the Crown Vic, and before Jacobs could regain control, the car was skidding off the pavement and into the nearby trees, the force of the impact sending it shooting sideways. Jacobs slammed on the brakes and tried to right it, but the car slammed hard into one of the hardened trucks, and he was jerked hard to the right as the force resounded through the frame.

For a moment, Jacobs sat still and willed the world to stop spinning, then he raised his head and glanced at his surroundings. Shards of broken glass and distorted metal filled his vision, and he saw that the Crown Vic had been totaled by its impact when it had collided with the tree. Thankfully, the driver's side of the car had held up, and even though Jacobs ached all over, nothing seemed to be broken.

Fumbling with his hands, Jacobs managed to undo his seat belt and force open the now crumpled door, stumbling down onto his hands and knees once he was clear. He felt warm liquid blood seep down the side of his face, but the flow was weak, and upon inspection he saw that it was only a minor cut. Finally staggering to his feet, Jacobs turned his attention back to the Crown Vic to see what it was that had struck the side of his car.

Rounding to the side of the impact, he was startled to see that a massive dent had been punched into the frame, almost as though it had been slammed by a wrecking ball. In fact, the passenger's side of the car almost now ceased to exist, as it had completely caved in from the impact. Confused and in shock, Jacobs staggered back to the road to try to get a glimpse of what it was that had hit him. Following the skid marks back, Jacobs froze at the sight that greeted him.

It was part of a tree trunk, roughly half as tall as Jacobs but almost two feet in diameter. Glass and plastic lay haphazardly around the log, and Jacobs estimated that given the density of the oaks in this area, that log had to weigh no less than five hundred pounds.

The realization of the sheer weight of what had hit his car certainly explained why his Crown Vic had been totaled, but with one question answered, another took its place. Where the hell did it come from? Lifting a quarter of a ton was no easy feat, but to throw it? That was something nothing short of a catapult could achieve. But he was in the middle of the woods, where the hell could a catapult be out here?

Pulling out his phone and activating the flashlight, Jacobs squinted and searched the foliage, trying to see if he could make anything out against the gloom.

"Hey!" he called out. "Is anybody out there?"

Nothing but silence greeted him in return, the air now eerily still. Nothing was heard save for Jacobs's breathing as he waited for a response. He squinted harder to try and pick anything out in the darkness, and suddenly, he saw movement next to one of the trees.

No, the tree itself was moving…

Jacobs's blood froze in his veins next, as he saw that it was no tree.

It was a shape, the shape of a nightmare, and his eyes reflexively darted to the top of the form to see a featureless face staring back at him.

Jacobs gasped and back pedaled onto the road as the figure approached, snapping branches and twigs alike as it drew closer.

It was him. It was the man in the suit that Marie had told him about. He was here in the forest. Part of Jacobs's mind didn't want to believe what he was seeing before him, but as the figure emerged from the tree line, he found it impossible to deny.

The suit and tie stood out among its nearly blackened form, and Jacobs scrambled back further as he saw that the figure was almost levitating towards him. A sharp pain suddenly appeared in his head, and Jacobs cried out as the agony engulfed him. It felt like his skull was splitting open, and as he frantically glanced back at the figure, he saw it stretch an unnaturally large arm in his direction. Numerous tentacles had also spawned from the monsters back, and they too were closing in on him. A distinct ringing began in his ears, growing more and more insufferable as he felt his mind begin to collapse.

Jacobs squeezed his eyes shut and fell backward, but in the next moment, the pain remarkably receded, and a series of gunshots filled the night air. Forcing his eyes open, Jacobs saw the nightmare turn its attention to the source of the noise, and Jacobs followed its sightless gaze to see a figure rapidly approaching them. An automatic rifle of some kind was in its hands, and as it ran, rounds spewed out and sought home in the body of the nightmarish creature, who recoiled but did not fall as the bullets pierced its skin. Where the gunshot wounds opened up, a black mist seemed to spill out, and though the creature did seem bothered by its wounds, it did lash out with its tentacles as the figure came within range.

The figure evaded the tentacles as they struck, ducking and dodging left and right with ease despite the speed and number of appendages the monster attacked with. With its hands now somehow empty, the figure leapt up and grabbed the monster's featureless face with its left hand, causing the creature to stagger backward from the force of the impact. Tentacles made to grab at the figure as it held on, but the figure paid them no mind, finally sparing a glance to Jacobs as the monster writhed under its iron grip. In the light from his phone, Jacobs could see that the figure was wearing some kind of armored suit with a helmet covering its face, making it seem incredibly intimidating as it overpowered the nightmare in its grasp. As Jacobs looked on in shock, a voice came from within the suit.

"I would recommend vacating this area immediately, as I am only 95% certain of the effectiveness of what we are about to attempt."

Despite his state, Jacobs struggled to his feet, running back in the direction of the Crown Vic as fast as his legs could carry him. Millions of thoughts raced through his mind as he ran, but one stood out among the others. That man…that suit…he almost looked like a…

 _…an astronaut. A spaceman._

Jacobs's eyes widened, and he whirled back around in realization. His eyes met the figure's gaze once again, but in the next moment, a flash of blue light engulfed both it and the monster. A loud bang sounded from across the landscape, but when the light faded, both the figure and the monster disappeared.

Jacobs looked around frantically to see where they had gone, but the night had fallen still once more. Only he remained. After making sure that he was alone, Jacobs cautiously staggered over to where the monster and figure had stood not moments before. Against the light of his phone, Jacobs saw ash marks streak outward from ground zero, the only evidence that they had been there in the first place. Had they exploded? Reduced to nothing but atoms? Just what the hell had the spaceman attempted? Quickly, Jacobs snapped pictures of the scene with his phone, then hurriedly dialed his chief.

An annoyed and groggy voice answered on the other end of the line, and Jacobs hurriedly explained that he had been in a wreck and needed a response team out here immediately. The chief had quickly come to after that and asked what the hell had happened, but Jacobs stopped himself before he wove the tale. He would need to tell this story in person. He doubted anybody would believe what he saw, but if they did, then this case would likely be transferred beyond the Bureau, likely to some department that Jacobs didn't even know existed. An agency better equipped to deal with whatever that thing was perhaps. Or perhaps someone who could at least figure out who that guy in the suit was. Whatever it ended up being, it was not Agent Jacobs. He wasn't sure what it was that he had just witnessed, but this, whatever the hell this was, it was BIG. Of that, he could be sure.

 _ **A/N: So, what did you think? For this chapter, I found my way back into the straight horror genre once more, and I think I probably have a few other horror stories lined up for future chapters after this one. That being said, remember to leave a review commenting on any aspect of my writing and keeping me posted on whether you liked what you read or felt that it was bad and unnecessary. No matter what, I love hearing from you guys, so please don't hesitate. Until next time!**_

 _ **-ImpulsiveWeaver**_


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